Lee's Pride
by Husker97
Summary: When a tragic turn of events leaves a young man named Lee in the African wilderness known as the Pride Lands; he finds a wounded creature and is determined to help her home. Not knowing at the time that it would change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

I stared out into the African Grassland, taking in the beautiful sight. Endless trees were scattered out, surrounded by tall, lush grass. A small group of antelope were bounding nearby. Birds were perched on the trees, making tons of commotion. All in the midst of a breathtaking sunset, red and purple collided to create an array of colors that most people could only dream of seeing.

"Enjoying the view, Lee?"

My father, Adam, stood behind me, arms crossed over his muscled chest. His brown hair identical to mine was wet and slightly messy from today's work. A five a clock shadow forming on his face, several grey whiskers mixed in with mostly brown facial hair. You would never guess he was pushing forty five considering the great shape he was in. Back in the states, we would both take daily trips to the gym. People often told us we could pass as brothers other then father and son. The only differences in us was my hair went far passed my shoulders and had waves. And my superior height, I was 6'3; my father was 5'10 at most.

I smiled at him, "yeah, I really envy these villagers. Even with the earthquake they went through; they still have a sight like this to wake up to every morning."

He nodded, "And we are here to help rebuild what they lost, which is what you need to be helping us with."

Raising his eyebrows with the last sentence, he jerked his head in direction of the construction site. I chuckled at I followed him, making sure to tie my hair back to avoid it getting in my eyes. We made our way to the house we were rebuilding, passing a group of kids playing soccer along the way. Several other men were trying to raise the last wall of the building. My father grabbed one rope and threw me the other.

"Come on Lee, it's about time all that lifting in the gym paid off, don't you think?" he said with a smirk.

I nodded as I braced myself to pull with everything I had. But with my father and four other men helping, it barely took anything to lift it. Once the last wall was put in place, we hammered the boards to block the inside from the elements. It took all evening, but it was all worth it to help the less fortunate. Besides, I always loved outdoor work, anything that got my heart pumping and gave me a good workout. While admiring the work we put into building the houses over the last few weeks, a ball rolled in my direction.

" Big bro, pass it here." called an all too familiar young voice.

Jenny, my ten year old little sister, came sprinting in my direction. Her sunflower yellow hair was tied back like mine. The sun had turned her face so tan it almost looked sunburned. Freckles were spread on her face.

"Here" I said tossing her the ball.

"Where's mom?" she asked

I pointed to the direction of a large tent that was placed in the center of the village. Several people with minor and major injuries were lined up outside the entrance. Mom was one of the few doctors they had here, and probably one of the hardest working. She emerged seconds later, her long, black hair tied back like Jenny. She looked just as tired as dad and I, sweat was dripping down her forehead, cycles of bags under her ocean blue eyes.

Mom looked in our direction, giving us a pearly white smile. We both waved at her, smiling back. Jenny ran back to join the other kids at play. She kicked the ball to another girl her age, and then they took off until they were out of site. It wasn't until I stopped working did I finally realized how thirsty I was. I was just about to go get a cup of water when my mom came holding one, a warm smile stretched across her face. Even with the tired look on her face, she still looked like an angel that fell from heaven. Jet black hair that was smooth as silk, draped over her right shoulder. Skin that was, like all of ours, almost sunburned it was so tan.

"You've been working so hard, I thought you could use a cold drink."

"Thanks mom" I replied. I took the drink and guzzled it greedily. I stopped a little before half way and handed it back to her.

"Give it to the old man; he needs it more than me." I said with a wink. Mom and I both new it drove my dad crazy when I called him old. She giggled happily before kissing me and walking in my dad's direction. Before she got to him, a blood curdling shriek ripped through the air, followed by a thunder like roar. The blood drained from my face as I sprinted in the direction of the cry. Jenny came running with tears in her eyes. I scooped her up and held her close to my chest. She held onto me like a life preserver, blubbering about how they're going to kill it.

I set her down and made her look at me. "Go back to mom and dad, don't fallow me."

She grabbed my hand before I could leave. "Wh- what are you going to do?"

"probably something really stupid." I planted a kiss on her forehead as I ran to where a group of workers were crowded together under a large tree. They were yelling some in English others in some other language, Swahili maybe. Pushing my way to the center, I saw a full grown lioness with her legs and mouth tied. She thrashed wildly, but she couldn't move as good due to her swollen underbelly. Two men held her down while a third kicked her in the stomach. My face got hot as my blood started to boil. Marching forward, I seized the one worker by the collar and kicked his feet out from under him, and stomped hard on his stomach.

"How do you like it?" I snarled through gritted teeth.

Another one of the three jumped on my back; he tried to wrap his arms around my neck. However, I took one arm and easily flipped him over to join his buddy in the dirt. A cry rang out as I turned around, just in time to see a hatchet swinging towards me. Dodging it, I recovered and got into a fighting stance. The third man clutched the weapon firmly and rose in above his head, ready to strike.

I raised my eyebrows in warning, "are you sure about that?" He responded with another yell as he tried to strike again. Big mistake, I grabbed his arm with my left hand and threw a solid uppercut with my right. He grunted in pain, but decided to try swing with his other hand. After stopping that hand as well, and having no other options, I head butted him. Falling to the ground with a thud, he clutched his now blood gushing nose.

The two men I took down a second ago were back on their feet, staring daggers at me. They both rushed me, trying to grab both my arms. I managed to shove one backward, but the other managed to latch onto me. A solid punch connected with my face, but I recovered quickly and gave one solid punch to the stomach. He backed off a few feet, enough for me to get in a three punch combo. I finished the job by giving him a kick that sent him flying.

A loud crack echoed through the air that made everyone stand still. My dad stood before use clutching his Colt Python; one of his favorite firearms. He had a dangerous look in his eye, one that I had come to both fear and respect at the same time. Whenever I got in trouble as a kid, he would always wear that same look right before he let me have it. He also had that look whenever he was about to kick some bodies ass. Given the current situation, I was hoping for the ladder.

"Alright, that's enough."

Mom and Jenny stood behind him, holding onto each other. Jenny was still crying softly, mom stroked her hair to try and calm her down. Dad walked over to me and placed a firm hand on my shoulder, and tried to lead me away. I almost obeyed, but another painful cry from the poor pregnant creature on the ground stopped me in my tracks. She was still thrashing wildly, but with a more frieghtened, hopeless look in her eye. As if she had half accepted her fate, and half still wanted to live.

I turned to my father, "I'm not letting them kill her."

"Son, it's an animal."

"She is pregnant. Even if she wasn't, I still wouldn't let them do it."

The worker with the busted nose came up to me. His black eyes almost look like they were about to shoot beams at me. Looking back at the lioness, he spat at the ground in discuss. I had the strongest urge to throttle him. Most people look at these creatures and saw only a murderous carnivore with a lust for blood. People don't realize that lions are the only big cats that live in family groups. The instinct to be with family is very apparent to them. They had to have a deep love for one another to want to be around each other all the time.

Freeing myself from my dad's grip, I slowly started to approach the creature. She looked about the average size for a pregnant lioness. She had a light tan fur coat, and a cream colored underbelly. The most beautiful feature she had was her light blue eyes, almost identical to my mom's, to mine. Lowering myself to look her in the eye, then lifting my head to get a good angle for what I was about to do. Calmly, I started nuzzling her forehead with the top and back of my own head. I read somewhere that this is a way lions show affection to one another. And with the head of hair that I had, she probably couldn't tell the different between me and a regular lion. Just to be sure, I started to purr and did my best to make it sound like a lion.

To my amazement, she purred along with me, and nuzzled me right back. We continued that for I don't know how long before I broke the embrace. Looking into her eyes again, I planted a kiss on her muzzle and leaned into her ear.

"Good girl."

Her ear twitch in response and nuzzled me again. Slowly, I reached back and retrieved my Buck knife. Clutching the light brown handle firmly, I brought the 7 inch blade lightly up to the ropes that held her mouth shut. She noticed this strange object coming towards her and started to thrash slightly. Putting my free arm around her and whispering calm words into her ear. While I had her distracted, I swiftly cut the rope. She remained perfectly still, even while I cut her feet loose.

Right when I cut the last ropes, a strong hand grabbed my collar and yanked me backwards. Dirt rose around me as my back collided with the ground. My father's face was filled with a mixture of anger and concern. Before I could even get back on my feet, my vision was blocked by the lionesses cream fur. She hovered above me, her fur only inches from my face. A menacing growl escaped her mouth, at first I thought it was directed towards me. Her eyes were fixed on my father, like she wanted to rip him to shreds. Without thinking, I kicked her in the back of the leg hard enough to get her attention. Then using all the force I had, I lifted her off me and kicked dirt at her.

"Go, get out of here!"

She bolted in the opposite direction of everyone. Even in her condition, she was able to run at an incredible pace. My happiness was short lived when I saw my father raise his Python and pull the hammer back. Acting on pure adrenalin, I grabbed his arm just as it went off and wrapped mine around his. Twisting it backward with great force, he let out a small yell before releasing his weapon. Looking back at were the lioness was running, I breathed a sigh of relief to find out she was still moving, but at a relatively slower pace.

I turned to my father with an angered expression. Why would he shoot when she was obviously just trying to get away? Did he even see she was pregnant, or care? My pulse rocketed, heat shot through my body. Before I even knew what was happening, my rock solid fist connected with his jaw and sent him flying to the ground. If it were any lesser man he would be out cold, but he just shook his head and stared up at me. I grabbed him by his shirt and yanked his face closer to mine.

"What was that?!" I demanded

He spat blood into the dirt before answering. "We can't risk her coming back here and killing any of the little livestock they have left, or, God forbid, hurting one of the kids!"

"You don't know she would have done that."

"Oh, you know she wouldn't? Honestly Lee, sometimes I worry about you."

I raised my fist again.

"Lee!" my mom shrieked.

She and Jenny almost knocked me over when hugged me. Mom kissed my face over and over again, murmuring something about being her 'Baby boy' I rolled my eyes. Jenny dug her face in my white t-shirt and wrapped her arms around my waist in a python like embrace. Dad gave the idea that it would be a good idea for us to head home. I could barely get mom off me so we could get in the car. Jenny staid glued to me the entire ride back to the hotel we were at. Half way there she had calmed down enough and started running her fingers through my 'Mane' as she liked to call it.

"I'm really going to miss this Lee."

"What, my hair?"

"Yeah, you know when you go into the Marines there going to make you get a haircut."

"As if"

"No, seriously, it's the first thing you do when you start basic training, daddy said so."

I smiled, "Well, if that's the only sacrifice I need to make in order to serve our country, and more importantly, protect our family, then break out the clippers."

Her jaw fell open, "Seriously, you haven't gotten a haircut since the eighth grade! Why would you throw away something so beautiful?"

"Sometimes you have to give things up before you move forward. If I have to give up my hair in order to do something great like protect America, I'd gladly do it as many times as I had to."

Mom turned to us with a concerned look in her eye. She let her opinion of me going to fight over seas loud and clear when I first brought it up. It's all I talked about since I turned 15. When my father came back from Dessert Storm, it took everything my mom had to bring him back His body may have returned, but his mind was still there. The friends he had lost, the close calls he had barely come back from, it can do things to you. Having her "Baby boy" going over there and risking the same thing, it was almost too much for her.

"Lee, honey, you still have a while before you can enlist. So let's put a pin in that okay?" she asked in her regular gentle, angle like voice. I simply nodded in response and continued to gaze out the window. My mind would occasionally drift to the lioness, hoping she would be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Back in the hotel, Jenny and I were both getting ready for bed. With the work we did, you had to rise early. After brushing our teeth and changing into out pj's, Jenny and I watched a movie on the TV. I had my arm around her as snuggled up to me. Her head rested on my bare chest. She would shift every few minutes in an attempt to get comfortable. Finally, I turned to face her.

"Are you comfy yet?"

She giggled, "I always am big brother, and it's just hard to find the right spot when my favorite pillow is so muscled."

"Very funny."

Jenny head shot up from her spot and looked at me with a puzzled look.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"The phone"

Leaning over me to get to the phone that was right next to me, Jenny took it and brought it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Jenny, no one's calling."

"Shhh, yes he's right here, yeah, okay I'll tell him"

She handed me the phone, "It's Lou Ferrigno, he wants his body back please"

I snatched her up and pushed her down on the couch. Pinning her arms above her head, I tickled her armpits until she was squealing with laughter. A pillow came in contact with the back of my head; turning around to face the culprit, I faced my mother who wore a mischievous grin on her face. With the greatest of ease, I picked her up and threw her on one of the large beds we had. Then I jumped on top of her and tickled her in the same manner as Jenny.

My little sister took the opportunity and jumped on my back. I reached around and threw her on the bed right next to mom. In no time, I had them both pinned and was tickling them without mercy. We were so caught up in our antics; we almost didn't hear the old man stumble down the hallway. He came into the room with a half asleep look; that and the smell of bourbon that accompanied him gave a clear indication that he had been drinking.

It had been a problem for him as far back as I could remember. I'm pretty sure it started when he was a teenager, probably to deal with the added stress his dad put on him for sports and college. When he came back from the service, it got even worse. There usually wasn't a day were he didn't have a drink in his hand. We were able to deal with it for a while, but there were a few times when it got out of control. Tonight was one of those times.

He came staggering into the room, almost knocking a few pieces of furniture down in the process. Almost like a zombie, he made it to the bed we were laying on and stared down at us with a dazed and confused look. My mom slowly got up from the bed and started to make her way towards him. He stepped away from her and looked back at us.

"What- what's goin on here" he asked with a slur

I shrugged, "Just some fun dad, there a problem with that?"

He narrowed his eyes, pointing his Jack Daniels bottle at me; he spoke in a more dangerous tone. Jenny backed further onto the bed with a whimper.

"Fun huh, you better watch your mouth boy."

I slowly stood up. Things like this usually ended up with one of us being unconscious. Having a doctor for a mom really helped us so neither of us would have to go to the hospital. Before I got stronger, it was usually me who was out cold at the end of the night. After I had started hitting the gym and started boxing, I was the one who came out on top. But for mom and Jenny's sake, I tried to avoid physical confrontations as much as possible. Even though the things he said while he was shit faced made me want to knock his teeth out.

We were inches apart now. I had to look down at him to look him in the eye. His breath reeked of whiskey, and his eyes were watery. Fighting back the urge to gag, I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you go lie down, you work real hard today, you can use some rest."

He slapped my hand away, "I didn't ask you to keep tabs on me"

My mom spoke up, "Lee's right Adam, I think it would be best if you lie down. And I think you have had enough for tonight"

She tried to take the bottle from him; he merely turned away from her and took another swig. Mom cast her eyes down and sighed softly. Most nights she could talk him down if he wasn't in a really bad mood. Though he has already made it quite obvious that he is in a bit of a mood tonight. I decided to try one more time to get him to hand over the booze. My mother placed a hand on my shoulder and made me turn to look at her. With a pleading look in her eye, she slowly shook her head and mouthed the word 'no'.

"It'll be okay mom, go sit with Jenny" I said as I planted a kiss on her cheek. Hesitantly, she obeyed. Once I was sure they were both safely a few feet away from us, I looked back at the old man.

Making my way towards him, I started to anticipate what he would try to do if it got bad. By the time I got to him, I knew that I wasn't going to do this in front of mom and Jenny if it came to that. Again, I placed a hand on his shoulder; he responded this time by throwing a right hook to my face. It never hit me though. I ducked, and using the momentum picked him up and threw him on the ground. Jenny started crying; remembering my promise I grabbed him by the shirt and started dragging him out the front door.

I threw him to the ground once we were in the hallway. He got back up in a second, raising his fists in a boxer types stance. Mirroring his image, I showed him I was ready to go if he was. Advancing towards me, he threw another right hook at me. After dodging, this time I punched him the same way except mine connected. Before he could even recover, I grabbed him and wrapped my large arms around his neck in a sleeper hold type fashion. Within seconds, he was out like a light and slowly slumping to the ground.

Carrying him back over my shoulder, I came back into the room to witness my little sister crying in my mom's arms. She looked up to see that we had come back in, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Most times it got much worse then what happened tonight. Even though she was old enough to understand he had a problem, it still killed her to see me hurt her daddy. After I placed him in the only unoccupied bed in the room, Jenny came over to us and took off his shoes. Kissing his cheek, she hugged her daddy before returning to mom's side.

With the old man tucked in nice and snug, it was time to comfort my two favorite ladies. I leaned up against the headboard of the bed and motioned Jenny towards me. She all but flew into my arms, and after covering us both with the blankets, mom kissed us both and said to get some sleep. Then she went to join the shell of what used to be her loving husband on the bed across the way. My little sister and I stayed in a silence well after we heard mom drift into slumber. Her small voice finally broke the silence.

"You shouldn't have done that to daddy."

I looked down at her in utter disbelief, "Like I was going to let him hurt you or mom, Jenny you have never seen how bad he could get. I was protecting you two"

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "No, I mean earlier today at the village. Nearly breaking his jaw didn't exactly help his mood Lee. I wasn't happy that he shot that lion either, but you didn't have to do that."

Pulling her closer, I wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her forehead before answering.

"Your right, I overreacted. Punching him in the face wasn't the right way to go."

She nodded, "Thank you for coming to your senses."

"Get some sleep."

She nodded again and placed her head back on my chest. I stared down at her and could imagine how lucky I got to have a sister like her. Jenny was one of the few things that kept me from leaving years before now. I thought my dad's problem would eventual go away; but as I grew older I knew that was only a dream. The thought of running away crossed my mind more than a few times. However, that all changed the day Jenny was born. I had convinced myself that I had to stay to keep my little sister safe, at least until she was old enough to be on her own.

Being my mom and sister's protector had been my main goal for the last few years. They were the reasons I started lifting until I apparently looked like Lou Ferrigno, why I boxed, and why I was eventually going into the Marines. All steps I took to make sure they were safe, not only in their own home, but from whatever threat awaited me overseas. As I drifted off to sleep that night, I honestly couldn't imagine life without either of them.

The following morning was as normal as usual. I got up and started my regular workout routine. I started with the basic sit ups and pushup, followed by an arm workout. During my second round of pushups, I felt something sit on my flat back, followed by Jenny's voice.

"You would really start your training without your trainer?"

I smiled, "Alright boss, count them down for me."

She giggled, "Okay, one, two, three, four…"

She had been my personal training buddy since I started getting serious about getting in shape. Having her there made it less of a daily struggle, and almost like a game. She enjoyed it more then I did most of the time. It got to the point where I rarely missed a workout session without her. I could honestly say she really took the role seriously; she would even start yelling at me to go the extra mile every time.

By the time my morning workout was said and done, mom and the old man had gotten up and ready to head out. After Jenny and I got done getting ready, it was already 11:00 in the morning; which meant we were late, and nothing pissed the old man off more than being late. Before he could get behind the wheel, I took his keys from him; earning a menacing scowl from him in the process.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping you from wrecking our car and getting us killed."

"I beg your pardon boy?"

"You drank way to much last night, I'm not letting you drive with either of them in the car" I said pointing the keys at mom then Jenny.

"Lee" my mom said, "Give the keys to your father. He's fine to drive us."

I shook my head, "That's a bad idea."

Jenny leaned out the window, a pleading look in her eye. "Please Lee, not so early."

I waited a minute before sighing in defeat and handing him the keys. With a wise ass smirk plastered on his face, he took his spot up front. Jenny gave me a grateful smile as she kissed my cheek and leaned against me. The drive to the site was usually an hour, so I saw no harm in taking a cat nap. If I had known this was the last good night sleep I was going to have in a long time, I would have cherished it more.


	3. Chapter 3

My head felt like it was bashed in with a metal baseball bat. I couldn't even open my eyes when I first came to because it hurt too much to even move. When I finally did, it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the sunlight. However, I could already see a shadowy figure hovering above me. A small, scared voice escaped the silhouette's mouth, but it sounded more like a distant echo. Like it was facing me in the opposite end of a long tunnel. I finally got enough of my bearings to realize it was Jenny who was above me. Seconds later, mom came to her side and put a wet washcloth on my forehead. It felt cold against my burning skin. Getting tired of laying down, I made the very bad decision to sit up. Why was it a bad idea? The second my back left the hard ground; a piercing, knife like pain shot through my head like a bullet.

Letting out a pained groan, I slowly lowered myself back down.

"Try not to move" Jenny said.

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks for the tip" making the sarcasm obvious in my voice.

"Hey, don't get mad at me!"

"Oh, you're right, why don't I throttle the old man until his head falls off! I knew I should have been the one to drive us today. Where is he?!" I demanded

Jenny started crying uncontrollably, but shakily pointed to the left. Looking over to were she pointed, I saw my father laying down, eye's closed with a large gash on the right side of his head. Mom was currently wrapping the wound with bandages that were already soaked with blood. Afterword, she came over to me with a sorrowful look in her eye, like that one task was the most tiring thing she had ever done. She managed a brave smile as she kissed my cheek, then she instructed my sister to get me a drink.

The day dragged on like everything was in slow motion. I finally got over the pain in my head to walk again. Fighting the urge to throw my father off a cliff, I went to gather fruit for us to eat. After almost going three hours with no success, I just about threw in the towel when I finally struck gold. A tree filled with bananas had been right next to the tree we crashed into. It wasn't the best find because Jenny hated them more than anything, but it was better than starving to death. She must have thought so too, because she had devoured five before going into a food coma.

Mom and I ate in awkward silence. I could see she partially blamed herself for the events that happened today. Although it was her who agreed to let him drive, I told her not to blame herself. She already had a hard enough time keeping dad alive without having a guilt cloud hanging over her 24/7. Even after I gave my reassuring words, she still spent 20 minutes crying on my shoulder. When she finally cried enough tears to file up the Nile river, she told me something I had to ask her to repeat because I was sure I heard her wrong.

"You need to go find help."

I actually laughed, "How hard did you hit your head?"

"This is NOT a joke Lee!"

She had never yelled at me before. Mom usually spoke with a calm nature, she knew the old man did enough yelling for the both of them. I would be lying if I said I wasn't partially surprised by her sudden outburst. The shock must have been apparent on my face because seconds later she had me in a death grip hug.

"Mom, its okay, but I'm still not leaving."

"Lee, you're the only one who's well enough to travel. And the only one prepped well enough to survive out there. Jenny and I can't leave your father unprotected; and I can't walk regardless because of my leg. Son, you're our only hope."

"What if you guys get into trouble? There have got to be numerous predators around here, not to mention poachers. Theirs nowhere for you guys to seek shelter and to top it all off, you've never fired a gun in your life."

"That's why you are the one who needs to go and get help."

"What about Jenny?"

"She'll understand."

I pondered what I was going to do. On one hand, if I did stay to protect them, there would be less of a chance that we would ever be found. The food we have wouldn't last forever, and neither will the fruits on the trees around us. While on the other hand, if I did leave, they wouldn't be as safe if I was here. However, firing a gun wasn't rocket science, and if I left enough food behind they could last a few days at most. She was right; I was the only one who could survive out there on my own. I knew what I had to do.

The sun wasn't even out as I made my way across the endless stretch of grassland. I knew I had to get up before Jenny did, because if she knew I was leaving she would lose it. Mom prepared a travel pack the night before filled with a decent amount of energy bars, bottles of water, fruit, and some beef jerky. She almost gave me what was left of the first aid kit, but I said she needed it to keep dad and Jenny alive.

I was armed to the teeth with a good portion of weapons. That's one advantage of coming from a military family, plenty of guns. With my father's Colt Python at my hip, a sawed off shotgun slung over my shoulder, my knife, and a military grade tomahawk with a camouflage handle, I felt like a walking artillery unit. Deciding to make good use out of the numerous tree branches that were scattered around the grasslands, I took a decent sized one and started sharpening one end. By the time I had finished, it had become a well crafted spear. It almost felt silly and childish to carry a spear when I had so many more powerful weapons; but hey everything counts.

One trade off for having a well stocked bag is that you have to carry it everywhere you go. I had been walking for an hour now and it honestly felt like four. It's a good thing I was in such good shape, because I was really pushing my limits. When I finally decided to take a lunch break, it was well into the middle of the day. I had just finished eating a stick of jerky and an energy bar and was about to head out again when I heard the voices.

There were a few of them coming over from a nearby ridge. I could tell at least two of them were female; the rest of them could have easily been males. Every once in a while there would be an animal, maybe hyena type cackle in between the talking. Going against my better judgment, I decided to investigate. As I made my way towards the ledge, the voices got louder, and then I heard the roar. What I saw almost made me fall over.

Down below me, surrounded by three hyena's, was the same lioness I rescued yesterday. If the size and color of her didn't give her away, the gaping, bloody gunshot wound on her left front leg sure did. The only reason they weren't devouring her was because they were too busy enjoying her helplessness. Tremendous guilt pegged at my insides. No, it wasn't remotely my fault she got shot, but maybe I could have been faster.

What was even more unbelievable, I could understand what they were saying. Because they were speaking in perfect English! I wasn't usually the one to eavessdrop, but I dare you not to listen in on a conversation between talking animals.

"Shenzie, let's just eat this cat already!" one of the male hyenas said with a growl.

"You do know who this is, right Banzai? This is Nala, Simba's mate, AKA, the queen of the pride lands. If we eat her, there's going to be trouble." The girl hyena, Shenzie, said.

Banzai turned to the other male, "What do you think, Ed?"

The other male, Ed, just laughed in an almost insane manner. I was seriously wondering if that guy had a few screws loose.

The lioness, Nala, finally spoke, "If you touch me, Simba will come after you. And what the great late king Mufasa did to you all those years ago will feel like nothing when he gets through with you."

Shenzie spoke again, "He won't know who killed you if there's nothing left of you to find. By the time we're done with you, no one will know what happened. They will all just think you left with your cub without a care for him. Oh, poor Simba will be so shattered."

All three of them started walking towards Nala, while hungrily licking their chops. She tried to get up, but she quickly fell forward after putting the slightest pressure on her wounded leg. The anger that I felt towards the workers the other day had come back with a vengeance. I wasn't about to let this happen to her on account of me. Pulling out my colt, I fired directly in front of the trio. The bullet landed only inches from Shenzie's paw. All four of them looked up at me.

"Back off" I demanded.

Jumping down from the ridge, I landed between Nala and her attackers. All three of them had their ears flat, but there menacing fangs were still bared. The crazy one, Ed, must have been even crazier then I thought, because he took another step towards me. Pulling the hammer back, I aimed it at his foot. The bullet hit it, and Ed yipped in pain before backing away with his tail between his legs. Shenzie and Banzia growled with a mixture of anger and fear. Pointing it at the two of them, I raised my eyebrows in an almost amused fashion.

"You guys want to try?"

Banzai was about to speak, but Shenzie cut him off, "Come on boys, now's not the time. We are too close to Simba's den to risk a fight. But all in good time, you'll get yours you hairless monkey or whatever you are."

With that, all three of them disappeared. I waited until they were out of sight to look back at Nala. Rage shot through me like a bolt of lightning when I saw the Hyena's handiwork. She had multiple claw wounds on her legs, and one huge gash on her stomach. I mentally swore every bad word I could think of while hoping the baby was okay. Nala broke the silence

"It's you; you were the one who saved me the other day from those other humans."

I nodded, "Yeah that was me. And may I just say you have a very nasty habit of getting into trouble."

She actually smiled, "And you have a habit of saving my life."

"Let's just say I'm good at recognizing a damsel in distress."

"What did you call me?"

It was only after she asked me that question did I realized I wasn't talking to just any old lioness. This was a queen, who had a husband who was a king. Who could probably have me executed for talking bad about his lady. After mentally slapping myself in the face, I quickly dropped to my knees in a bowing manner.

"I am so sorry, your highness. Believe it or not, this is my first time ever talking to royalty. I am truly honored to be in your presence and meant no disrespect."

I was babbling on so much, I almost didn't hear her giggling. By the time I looked up, she had stopped but still wore an amused grin.

"You don't have to apologize, and please, call me Nala. You saved my life twice; it wouldn't be fair of me to make you use my title every time you talk to me. Now may I please know your name?"

"You can call me Lee."

"I like that name, it sounds strong."

"Thank you, but I need to look over your wounds. I'm no doctor, but I think I can at least clean them."

Since we didn't have any peroxide to clean any of the numerous opens wounds on her body, we had to resort to alcohol from the old man's stash. The last thing I took before leaving that day. If by some miracle my dad came too, I wasn't going to risk him screwing us even further. Then again, being unconscious beat the hell out of having to sit right next to a lion that was roaring in pain. I would honestly be surprised if I didn't come out of this being partially deaf.

"Okay, now for the one I have been the least exited about."

She scoffed, "Oh is this getting to hard for you? I apologize if I can't silence my roars of agony. Whatever that stuff is it's not helping!"

"I told you it would hurt, the burning means it's cleaning it"

She sighed, "Okay, okay. Now what"

"I have to take a look at your leg."

"Oh no."

After a quick inspection, I seriously started to think this whole event couldn't get any worse.

Sighing, I looked her in the eye, "You're not going to like this"

"What is it?"

"The bullet, the metal thing that comes out of a gun,"

She nodded in understanding.

"I think it's still lodged inside your leg."

Her eyes widened in pure shock and horror "Am I going to die, is it poisonous"?

"No, No, it's just not going to be fun getting it out. I'm going to have to dig it out, with this."

I then brought out my knife. Her head tilted to the side, as if she were trying to remember where she had seen it before.

"You see, humans don't have claws like lions do. So we use these things called knives to cut thing with. It's very sharp and it will hurt like a son of a bitch, but it's all I have to work with."

"I trust you."

Giving her a large piece of bark to bite down on, I made her promise not to claw my eyes out for doing this. She almost smiled, but it was quickly replaced by a menacing sneer. It took what felt like an hour before I finally got it out. Nala didn't even acknowledge the alcohol cleansing of the wound this time. The pain of her face only made me feel even worse. Nala must have noticed.

"Lee, what's the matter?"

"I-I'm sorry"

"Sorry for what?"

"That you got shot"

"You don't have to be sorry Lee, you didn't shoot me. That other idiot with the gun shot me. You even tried to stop him"

"That, uh, idiot was my dad."

"Oh, sorry"

I chuckled. "Trust me, you're not wrong."

The sudden sound of a rumbling stomach stopped our conversation. I chuckled as I raised my eyebrows at Nala. If lions could blush, I'm sure that's what she would be doing. Although, I guess she couldn't get much hunting done on her own at the moment. Looking over the horizon, I predicted I had at least two hours of sunlight left.

"Look, I'm going to see if I can get you something to eat. Stay here and don't move so much; I don't want you to open any of your wounds back up, okay?"

She nodded, "Loud and clear"

"Be back before you know it."

She nuzzled me affectionately, "Be careful"

I nodded before taking off.

Returning ten minutes later with a decent sized antelope riding on my back filled me up with pride beyond words. All those years hunting big game with the old man really paid off tonight. I tracked it to a big watering hole, and made a clear shot to the head. Hopefully, Nala wasn't too picky about what she eats. I could only imagine what a pregnant lioness could be craving. The smile on her face when I presented it to her was beyond grateful.

She pushed the kill towards me," Take a piece, you killed it."

"It's for you and your baby. I'm fine, I got my own stuff"

"If you insist, and thank you; from both of us."

I chuckled as I started gathering up dead branches and leaves. By the time I had gotten my fire up and running, Nala had already torn a good chuck out of the corpse's insides. She growled in pleasure as she made quick work of the kill. She finally lay down with a satisfied sigh.

"Let's see," she began, "You saved me from a group of angry humans. Saved me from hyenas, healed my wounds, and went out of your way to get me dinner. I am truly in your debt, Lee."

"You don't own me anything, Nala. I'm sure almost anyone would have done the same thing."

Her head shot up in alarm,"Be careful, you could start the whole Savanna on fire."

I looked at her guiltily, "I'm sorry, I don't have a lot to keep me warm."

Putting out the fire, I simply pulled out my blanket and prayed it wouldn't be to cold tonight. Nala didn't make me; I just felt that it would put her at ease if there wasn't a fire burning a few inches from where we slept. It wasn't terrible, but I would shiver every now and again, causing Nala to look up in concern. After about the sixth time she sighed and looked at me with both sternness and compassion.

"Lee, come here."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Come lay next to me. I'm not about to let you freeze to death. I can keep you warm."

"I'm okay, Nala, really."

"That wasn't a request, young one, come here, now."

Why did I currently feel like I was getting scolded by my mother? My mom had a way of using her calm, soothing voice to put me in my place without raising an octave. You just couldn't find it in yourself to say no. Because while she was showing her serious side, she was also showing she cared. Nala had that same tone of voice when she spoke to me now. Even going out of the way to call me 'young one' just too really shows me whose boss.

Sighing in defeat, I picked up my blanket and backpack and walked to wear she lay. She told me to lay my head on her stomach. At first, I wondered if it would hurt the baby, but the stern look from her ocean blue eyes left no room for arguments. After asking if I was comfortable, she curled up so her bottom half covered almost all of my chest and stomach. Nuzzling me, she proceeded to purr softly, almost in a lullaby type noise. I felt myself starting to drift off, but something poked me in the back of the head.

"What the..."

"What is it?"

"Call me crazy, but I think your stomach just kicked me."

Nala laughed, "Oh, I think my cub is talking to you."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Go ahead, and say something back."

I moved my face a bit closer to her stomach. Where I guessed her womb was. Playfully poking her stomach, I started talking in a voice like one would use on a little kid.

"Hey, little guy, my names Lee. You don't know me yet, but I can already promise you one thing, you're going to be one lucky cub. You have got a great mom here. I have only known her for a while, but I already like her."

Nala licked my face. I patted her head and kissed her muzzle like I did the other day. She continued to purr to me until I fell asleep in her embrace.

My body shot up in an instant when I heard an all too familiar noise. Cackling was coming from a few feet in front of us. Nala growled in a defensive manner. Grabbing my spear from its place in the dirt; I light a match and held it up to the end I had dressed in a cloth.

"Nala, don't move, I'm going to check this out."

Ignoring her words of protest, I made my way toward the cackling in the distance. I quickly came face to face with Shenzie, Banzai, and Ed. Accompanying them were five other hyenas with the same evil grin. I knew I had to approach this with caution; three were no problem in broad daylight with a gun. This time there were eight in the middle of the night and I couldn't see well enough to shoot them. If it came down to it though, I would beat my way through fifty of them if it meant protecting Nala and her unborn cub.

I breathed steadily, pondering what to say. "I don't want any trouble, just go away."

Shenzie stepped up, "Is this fear I hear in your voice?"

"No, what you hear in my voice is annoyance and mercy. I am in no mood to knock you and your boys around tonight, so I'm giving you a chance to go home. If I were you, I would say 'thank you' and be on my way."

Banzie moved forward wearing a cocky grin, "And what if we say no and go on to eat both you and that over grown fur ball over there." Using his paw to point to Nala.

Narrowing my eyes at them, I spoke quiet and calm.

"Let me be clear on something. If you try to eat me, I'll hurt you. Badly so that you won't be able to walk right for a good, long while. But if you try and hurt Nala, take a step towards her, or even mention it again, you will be wishing I had put a bullet in your head earlier today. That is something I can promise."

At first, no one said anything. I had learned from my time in basic training to always be on alert. Tightening the grip on my spear, I got ready to strike at the first moment one of them stepped forward. Most of them looked like they were either too stupid or too crazy to take my advice and leave. Just when I thought Shenzie had grown a brain and started stepping back, Nala's voice shrieked with terror in my direction.

"Lee, behind you!"

A ninth hyena jumped on my back and dug it's razor like fangs in my left shoulder. Pain shot into me with an incredible force. One of the eight in front of me took advantage and charged me, biting into my right leg. Thinking they had me under control, the other seven scavengers ran in Nala's direction. My head turned to see them make their way towards her. She roared with anger as she swiped her good front paw at them. When she looked back at me, the concern in her eyes was something that broke my heart.

"Don't. Touch. Her." I said each word loud and in an almost satanic like voice. They just laughed it off and continued to advance. Jumping around her in a playful manner, they actually enjoyed this. That made me all the more furious. Banzie finally pushed me over the edge in the worst way; he walked over to Nala and smacked her hard across the face with his paw. That did it.

With one last roar like cry, I raised my spear high in the air and brought in down to the hyena bighting my leg. It stuck in his back, he yelped in pain and instantly let go. Then using the lit end, I hit the other one three times with all the force I had. She finally fell off and ran like a bat out of Hell. Two of the others ran up to me, I was ready this time. One tried to jump on top of me, I struck with the lit end. The other managed to take me down, and my spear got knocked out of my hand.

The hyena on top of me snapped his jaws in anger as I held him at bay with my left hand on his throat. Two others tried to bite my legs; I kicked with everything I had. Seizing my buck knife, I brought it down at the base of his skull. I threw the now dead hyena on the two others and in no time got back to my feet. Now with large knife and tomahawk in hand, I was more ready than ever.

Making quick work of the two that were currently under their dead comrade, a single stab to the jugular got the job done. Now facing the five left that were still close to Nala, I narrowed my eyes and raised my weapons in front of me.

"Come on," I demanded, "I'll take you all on!"

They must have all taken that to heart, because they all rushed me at once. Hoping my aim wouldn't suck too much, I threw my tomahawk at the one on the far right. It hit him in the middle of the chest. The one right next to him tried to bite my one good leg; I kicked him hard before stabbing him in the back of the neck. Only Ed, Shenzie and Banzie remained, all three of them no longer wore looks of vicious killers. All three of them now looked wide eyed, like an antelope about to be taken out by a lioness. Even in the dark, you could practically see them shacking like leaves. Deciding that now would be a good time to leave; all three sprinted out into the distance. I wasn't finished with one of them.

Before Banzai could get far, I threw my knife towards him with full force. It hit him directly in the back right leg. Now limping, he still made a desperate attempt to escape. I jumped on him and brought him to the ground; immediately flipping him over to face me. Staring him down was like looking at a terrified toddler compared to how he was earlier today. Inching my face towards him, I could feel his whiskers ticking my face.

"I must take a real big, bad predator to hit a defenseless soon to be mother."

"I.. I didn't mean.."

Smacking him hard across the face in the way he did to Nala, I told him to shut up. Killing the other hyenas was just out of pure, protective instinct. But Banzai had put his paws on her. He hurt her, and I wasn't letting him off as easy as his buddies.

"I'll teach you what happens when you hit a female in front of me."

I proceeded to hit his face with my bare knuckles. By the fifth hit, his nose was already bleeding and his eye had stared swelling. All Ed and Shenzie could do was watch in terror. Good thing too, because I would have done the same to them for their handiwork on Nala earlier if they tried to help him. Continuing my assault until my fist got sore; I decided I had done a decent job. His face was all bloody and swollen, and several of his teeth were now out of his mouth and lying in the dirt next to him. I pulled out my gun to finish the job.

I pulled the hammer back, "Any last words?"

"Lee" Nala said calmly, "Let him go"

I didn't take my eyes off him as I answered, "He hurt you, and all three of them are too dangerous to be kept alive."

"Lee, honey, you're better than them. Don't kill out of revenge or hatred. The others attacked you, so of course you had to defend yourself. But these three are running scared, it wouldn't be right. So please let them go, for me."

After serious pondering for a few seconds, I finally put my colt away and let Banzie up. But not before tearing my knife out of his leg. As soon as I did, all three took off at a speed that could rival a cheetah's.

After collecting my spear, which surprisingly staid lit and didn't start a huge fire, I rejoined Nala in my original sleeping place. I immediately winced and grunted in pain as the friction of her fur rubbed against my gapping, bloody shoulder wound. She looked at me again with those loving, motherly eyes as she calmly told me to lie on my stomach. As my face came into contact with her warm, almost silk like fur, I felt something wet and rather rough rub against my wound. It took me a second to realize it was Nala trying to clean it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the gesture, but it still hurt a lot.

"Lee, I know it hurts, but you need to try and stop squirming."

"Yeah, sorry it actually feels good, thank you."

"No Lee, thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

I pulled my knife out of the fire and examined it to make sure it was hot enough. After spitting on it, the metal hissed like a rattle snake as small sparks shot from the tip. The fear in my mind was also present in Nala's eyes. She had tried to talk me out of this since I told her what cauterizing was. I had used the last of the bandages on my more serious leg injury.

Nala walked closer to me, "Hold onto me."

I latched onto her, then I sighed, "Well, here it goes"

This was without a doubt the most painful thing I have ever had to go through. The heat from the blade practically exploded on my shoulder. It's like taking boiling water and pouring it on you at a very fast pace. I let out a high pitched, almost little girl type shriek as I held it there for several seconds, although it felt more like an hour.

I practically fell against Nala when I finally threw the blade in the small pond next to us. She held me up as I continued to cry in pain, burying my face in her fur. Once again, nuzzling and licking me in a caring, compassionate manner. It felt good to have her here when I needed her; someone to comfort me when I was in pain. Now she really did remind me of my mother.

Once the searing pain had left my body enough for me to move again, I gathered up my supplies as I prepared for the journey ahead. Nala looked ahead in the distance, most likely pondering how long it would take her to get back to her home.

"Were do you live again?"

"It's that large mountain shaped rock in the distance, my people call it Pride Rock"

She looked down at her paws, as if she were leaving something unsaid. Her ears fell flat against her head, and I could swear I could see a tear sliding down her muzzle. Making her face me, I used my thumb to wipe her tear away.

"Nala, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, it's just, I don't know how I'm going to get back home in my condition. I feel like my cub could come at any day now. And the pain in my leg is still too much for me to walk on. I only got as far as I did because of pure adrenaline. But more than that, I'm just really going to miss you Lee."

My head cocked to the side in confusion."Why?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief as if she were shocked by my answer.

"Why? Because I have only known you for a few days and I feel like I could have known you my whole life. You're an amazing person Lee, you selflessly went out of your way to protect me, endangering yourself in the process, three times might I add. I just really wish my mate Simba could meet you."

I smiled, "Why can't he"

"What?"

"Why can't Simba meet me? Would he not like me?"

"No, I know he would. But you have to get help for your family, don't you?"

"I do, but I never said I was leaving you. And about you walking on your bad leg, that's what I made this for."

I brought out the handmade sled I had crafted the night before out of old logs and torn pieces of shirts. It took me a while, but it should be strong enough to hold her. Nala looked back at me as the realization finally dawned on her.

She spoke again, fresh tears peeking out her eyes, "You were never going to leave me were you?"

"Never, I swear, I'm going to make sure you get home."

"Lee, I couldn't ask you to leave your family on account of me."

"And if I leave you here with a baby on the way, id never be able to live with myself."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Let's get going. If we leave right now we can get there before sundown. By this time tomorrow, you'll be back with your pride and your mate."

Nala literally knocked me over when she hugged me. I laughed as she licked my face all over, and nuzzled me so hard it almost hurt. Wrapping my arms around her, I happily returned her embrace. She would be the thing I missed the most when I finally left here. Judging from how much she was licking me right now, I was pretty sure she would miss me too.

Pride Rock was less than a mile away. With the sun just barely beginning to set, I was actually shocked I had been so close with the time. Honestly though, it felt much longer then what it really was. Not only was I carrying my fully stocked backpack, but I was dragging a two hundred plus pound lioness behind me. I never thought I would see the day when I felt like one of Santa's reindeer.

"Do you want to take a rest, Lee?" Nala asked in concern.

"No, I'm fine, we're almost there. I can take a break when we get there."

She sighed, "Take a drink of water at least."

"That I can do."

My mouth felt like the Sahara desert . Pulling out my bottle of water from the side of my bag, I took a large swig of water. The cool liquid spread through my mouth like a rainstorm. I walked over to Nala and cupped the remaining water in my hand. At first she hesitated when I told her to take a drink, but I told her that her baby was probably really thirsty too. She guzzled it down in two seconds flat. Chuckling, I patted her head and kissed her muzzle before returning to my place as her personal horse.

The laughing stopped me in my tracks. Sighing and scanning the area ahead, I slowly reached for my colt on my hip. A loud growl came from behind me, meaning Nala sensed it too. Looking back at her; I said in an almost amused voice.

"These Hyenas are sure persistent. You got to give them that."

"Sad but true." She agreed.

A snapping twig brought me back to attention. Almost as if they appeared out of the shadows, many sets of eyes were now on us. I counted at least forty eyes, which means a good twenty of them this time. Slowly reaching back, I pulled my shotgun out in front of me. Looks like I would have to blast my way out of this, at least until my guns ran dry.

It didn't do much good. All twenty of them sprinted towards us at full speed. I only got off three shots before I was swarmed from every angle. Five ravage hyena were on top of me, digging there teeth into my flesh. The searing pain that currently occupied every inch of my body made it impossible to fight back. Twelve Hyenas currently surrounded Nala, posing to strike.

"Nala!" I cried

Acting on pure force of will, I raised my colt up to the head of the Hyena that was facing me. After shooting him and two more of his pals, I struggled out enough to get back to her. Diving on top of her venerable body, I took out my tomahawk and pointed my colt at another one of the savage scavengers. Firing the last bullet, I threw my gun on the ground and pointed my shotgun at them. One of them made a very stupid decision to run right in front of me, the blast from the gun sent him flying. Nala looked up at me with a look of undeniable terror.

"Lee, go."

"What?!"

"Run, get out of here. There is no point in both of us dying. You can get back to your family if you leave me here."

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm not leaving you! If I have anything to say about it, you will watch that cub grow up. These bastards will need to kill me before I let you die."

Though, looking at our current predicament, I think that death may not be far behind. Countless other hyenas started coming from out of nowhere. Before I knew it, my shotgun was out of ammo, and I knew I couldn't exactly reload when I was constantly getting bitten. On top of that, just as I set my shotgun down, one of the little pricks took a huge chunk out of my arm. Nala instantly reacted, seizing the culprit by the neck and biting with maximum force. He was dead within ten seconds.

Finally having to resort to the good old fashioned chop chop retune , I started hacking with my good arm like there was no tomorrow. But it seems with every one that I brought down, five came to take his place. Every fiber in my being told me this was hopeless; but I would be damned if I let them touch Nala again. Just as I started to feel my body collapse from exhaustion; another thunder like roar rang out in the distance. Everyone, myself and Nala included, froze in place.

Standing on top of a large boulder in front of us was a figure that put a shiver down my spine. It was one of the largest male lions I have ever seen. He had broad shoulders, long, meaty legs, huge paws that looked bigger then my hands. His mane was a russet color that covered his whole head and neck. His eyes were the same color. Those eyes were currently staring down all the hyenas without fear. Baring a set of canines that made their teeth look like toothpicks; the male let out another roar.

Within ten seconds, every hyena had run as if there asses were on fire. All the fighting I had gone through the past few days, and this guy had ended it in less than a minute. I barely had any time to ponder what happened before the male was right in front of us. Still acting cautious, I clutched my tomahawk if I had to make a crazy decision. Looking down at Nala, I noticed she was smiling.

"Simba" she said happily.

"This is your mate?"

She nodded.

I looked back at him, "Good to meet you."

That was all I got out before I was shrouded in darkness.

I woke up in a place I didn't recognize, lying on my back on a hard surface. The area around me was almost completely covered in darkness. After my eyes had adjusted, I realized I was in a cave. The entrance at the far end brought beautiful daylight. Trying to move around proved useless because a large portion of my body had been covered by some type of leaves. Suddenly something underneath me moved. That's when I felt the familiar texture rubbing against my head. At first I thought it was Nala that I was using as a pillow, until the figure spoke.

"Well good morning." It was still female

Slowly, I turned my head to look at her. I was met with a smiling lioness that looked rather similar to Nala. Although, this female's fur was several shades darker and her eyes were ruby red as opposed to Nala's ocean blues. Deciding it would be rude to keep staring, I finally found my voice.

"Um, hello my names Lee."

"I know, Nala explained everything too us after we brought you both back here. "

"Everything?" I repeated.

"Just the part about how you saved her several times and carried her all the way back to the Pride Lands." The lioness chimed the amazement very clear in her voice.

I shrugged, "It was nothing."

She chuckled, "A modest hero, those are very rare now a days."

"Thank you, Miss.."

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I'm Sarabi, Simba's mother. I was queen of these lands once."

"It's a pleasure to meet you your highness."

"Please call me Sarabi. And the pleasures all mine, you went out of your way to selflessly protect my daughter in law. We are clearly in your debt."

"Speaking of Nala, where is she? Can I see her?"

"It's okay dear; she is outside talking to Simba about going to get your family. She told us that you helped her even when your own family needed help. That's how I can tell you're special."

"How so?"

"You put the needs of someone you just met over your own wants because it meant keeping her safe. Simba almost lost it when Nala told us she told you to leave her for the hyenas. He was also amazed at how protective you are of her. Sarafina, Nala's mother, is already planning on bringing your family back to Pride Rock."

I was at a loss for words. Who knew helping someone could bring about this much trust in an entire community? This is my first conversation with Sarabi, and she's already calling me special? She didn't even know that much about me. For all she knows, I could be a serial killer. Yet, she still allowed me to use her as a pillow during all this time I was unconscious. That brought another thought to me.

"How long have I been asleep?"

" Three days." Sarabi answered.

"What! Three days, are you sure?"

"Positive."

This brought on a new problem altogether. I hadn't planned to be gone this long from mom and Jenny. The food I had left them would surely run out by the end of the day. No question about it, I had to get back on the road by sundown.

"Where is Simba and Nala? I need to talk to them about going to get my family."

"They will be back any second, but I don't think either of them will allow you to go in the position you're in. Half your body is either seriously gashed or bruised."

"With all due respect Sarabi, I don't care if my spine was broken, I'm still heading back out there no matter what."

"Oh no you won't." called a voice from outside.

I turned to see Nala standing in the entrance of the cave. She had one lion on either side of her. One was the large male I had seen the other night, her mate Simba. His large, muscular frame and red mane made it obvious. The other was a lioness that looked like she could be Nala's twin. She was similar in size, build, and color. Although, her frail posture may suggest she would be a few years older than Nala.

Nala came over with Simba and the other female. She nuzzled me before turning to them both and introducing them.

"Lee, you already met my mate Simba. This is my mother, Sarafina."

"Pleased to meet you, now back to me going to get my family, I'm doing it."

"And my answer is still no. You just woke up from a three day black out; you are in no condition to go anywhere."

"Since when is it your job to decide what's good for me?" I snapped in a rather harsh manner.

A growl escaped Simba's lips, "Watch how you address my queen when you are in my kingdom."

"Simba, it's alright." Sarabi said.

Nala sighed, "Lee, please understand, you have to think about your health. You can't go anywhere until Rafiki says you are able to go."

"I have to get to my family Nala, they'll die without help." I all but cried

She sighed a second time before answering, "Alright, we'll all go."


	5. Chapter 5

We we're less than a mile away from the crash site, the sun suggesting it was midday. I was so overjoyed at seeing them again I almost fell off my current position on Simba's back. Nala once again had to tell me to try not to move for fear that I might open up any of my numerous wounds, that motherly concern being apparent in her voice again. Hearing it made me want to see my actual mother all the more. And Jenny, I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms again.

"Lee", Simba began, "I want you to be prepared for what we might see when we get there."

"Simba, "Nala began, but I cut her off.

"It's okay Nala. And I don't think I have to prepare for anything, they're going to be fine."

"You don't know that they will be." He said

"And you don't know that they won't." I countered

"Let's just keep going." Sarafina suggested.

I nodded in agreement as we got closer. The car we drove in soon came into view. A few feet away, my father still laid were he did the day I left. I jumped off Simba's back and ran straight for him. After checking his pulse, I looked back at them.

"He's still alive. Mom, Jenny, its Lee, come out."

No answer. I looked around, that's when I saw her. My mother was lying on the ground; blood pouring from her stomach. Letting out a suppressed cry, I ran to where she lay and dropped to my knees. Cradling her lifeless body, I could feel her blood soaking into my shirt. When I finally had the courage to look at her, I instantly regretted it. Chunks of her flesh were torn from her stomach; and her left arm was completely torn from her socket. This was obviously the work of some predators, Hyenas.

Not one second after I thought of them did I hear the chomping of bones. And if they were eating mom, that only left..

"No!" I cried,

Shooting up from where I sat, I sprinted into the direction of the commotion. What I came across filled me with a rage like no other. Not Hyenas, but jackals were tearing at my little sister. There were five of them; three were digging into her stomach. The other two were fighting over some kind of bone. I didn't dare think of which one it was. My vision became blurry, ringing began in my ear. I didn't even feel myself walk over, or raise my tomahawk in a striking position. Before I could deliver the first of many savage blows, five hundred pounds of fur jumped on top of me.

Simba's mane got in my face as he restrained me from taking my vengeance out on the murderous heathens that devoured my family. Thrashing wildly, I demanded he let me up. None of these bastards where leaving alive.

"Get away from her you murderers." I cried

Simba looked up at them, "Go, now."

They all took off without a moment hesitation. I would probably do the same thing if I was being stared down by a terrifying lion and three equally intimidating lionesses. Once he was sure they where gone, Simba let me up. I thought the first thing I wanted to do was scream at him, but I didn't have the energy anymore. Placing my sister next to my mother, I lay in between them and cried like a little girl.

The two most important women in my life where now gone. The several sever wounds I had acquired over the past few days were child's play compared to this. I lay next to the women who taught me about everything good in the world. One of them held me when I cried; I held the other when she cried. This was the equivalent of getting bitten by a hyena a hundred times; or burning to death in hot lava. All of those things a thousand times over.

I didn't even feel Simba put me on his back again. Sarabi volunteered to carry my father. I didn't care any other way. No one said a word the entire journey back to Pride Rock. Nala would occasionally lick my face in a loving gesture, as would Sarabi and Sarafina. Once we got there, Nala told Simba I would be sleeping with them. I didn't object or approve, just took my place on Nala's stomach and cried myself to sleep.

My stomach screamed at me for the millionth time today. Not eating in five days can do that to you. In addition to the three days I had spent sleeping, I hadn't eaten a thing since we came back to Pride Rock. On the up side, I was getting my liquids in a lot more now. By liquids, I mean what was left of my old man's stash. Jack Daniels and I had become good acquaintances over the last few days. When Nala asked me why I was drinking this instead of water, I told her some humans tend to drink this when we get depressed. She asked me if it was like a medicine, I laughed it off saying it kind of was.

I was currently cheating on Jack Daniels with Jim Beam when I felt something nudge my leg. Barely looking up, I saw Nala and Simba looking at me in concern. Nala had a large Zebra leg in her mouth, which she dropped at my feet. All I did was shake my head and take another huge swig.

"Lee honey, please eat something." She pleaded

Simba stared at me for a few seconds before opening his mouth to speak.

"You know Lee, Nala worked all afternoon to get you this prime piece of food. I understand this isn't easy for you, but it would be incredibly rude if you didn't at least take a bite."

Deciding not to disappoint them, I hesitantly picked up the Zebra leg and brought it up to my lips. After taking the smallest bite of the carcass, I threw the remainder of it against the cave wall. It hit with a loud crash, causing Nala to jump. Her ears fell flat against her head as if her feelings were hurt. Simba looked back at me with a disapproving look, but no were near angry. I had to give this guy credit, he could take a lot.

"Now was that really necessary?" Simba asked

Who were they to tell me what to do? I didn't care if they were the king and queen of all creation, they wouldn't force me to eat if I didn't want to. Did they not see the same horror scene I did when we found my family? They probably did, just didn't care. Rising to my feet, I spoke to them for the first time since the day my life ended.

"Just leave me ALONE!" I screeched

I fell back down and started sobbing uncontrollably. A few seconds later, I heard more footsteps from outside the cave. Someone started nuzzling me, I saw enough through the tears to see it was Sarafina. Sarabi was standing next to us, staring Simba down.

"Simba, what did you do?" She demanded.

"Me? He's the one being completely unreasonable. All we have been trying to do is make him feel welcome and he keeps being rude. Nala still refuses to let him sleep without her, and he has never said so much as a 'thank you'."

Nala made her way over to me. Taking the other side of me that wasn't occupied by her mother, she started nuzzling me too. It was almost like I hadn't been flat out ignoring her for the past two days. Simba and his mom continued to duke it out, but I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know Simba didn't have a prayer. Even though he was a king, no creature could hold their own against their mother for that long. I know I never could. Sighing in defeat, Simba excused himself to go clear his head. Sarabi took the only place not occupied by someone, behind me. I finally got so tired from crying, I laid down using Sarabi's stomach as a pillow. Based on the gentle smile I was greeted with when I looked up at her, she didn't mind in the least.

Nala and Sarafina lay on either side of me, continuing to comfort me as best they could. My sobbing had gradually reduced to snivels as I started calming down. Even when I had stopped crying all together, none of the three females left me. We just all lay there, not saying a word, because words weren't needed right now.

Simba eventually came back in. He didn't say anything at first when he made his way over to us. His mouth would open, than closed again. I didn't look up at him when he finally cleared his throat to speak, his words barely met my ears.

"Listen, Lee. I know that you're going through a tough time right now. No, one of the worst times anyone has to go through. It feels like you should just give up because you think there's nothing left. Believe me; I know exactly what you're,"

"How do you know what this is like?!" I snapped, "You're a damn king, everyone here literally worships you! What do you know about loss?!"

His eyes immediately got dark. If he wanted to, he could tear all four of my limbs off in seconds. It didn't matter; obviously I wasn't of use to anyone anymore. I heard Sarabi tell Simba something; he looked at her then back at me. The look in his eye no longer looked concerned or annoyed, just sad. Sighing once more, he spoke again.

"When I was a young cub, my dad was my hero and best friend. He always told me how one day the sun would set on his time in the pride lands and rise with me as the new king. Being the naïve youth that I was, I thought it would have been years before that happened. I couldn't have been more wrong."

For the first time I saw a tear slide down his muzzle. To see a usually strong, fierce king cry made me feel like even worse then before. I was almost tempted to tell him he didn't have to keep talking. Curiosity got the better of me.

"What happened to him?"

He didn't take his eyes off me as he answered, "He was murdered, by his own brother."

"What?"

"You heard me right. My uncle, his name was Scar, was always envious of my father. It started when they were young cubs. My grandfather always favored my father, and never gave Scar the time of day. Their relationship didn't exactly improve over the years, by the time I was born; Scar was already planning on taking over by any means necessary. He had an alliance with the Hyena's, three of which Nala says you have become acquainted with Ed, Shenzie, and Banzie. With their help, Scar was able to cause a stampede that killed my father. "

A voice from outside brought us all to attention, "Is this him Simba?"

A dark figure came walking into the room. As it came closer, I recognized it as some kind of ape, a mandrill. He was probably around Simba's height, even walking on all fours. His entire body was coated in blue fur, except for his grey underbelly. A white beard stretch all around his head; blue markings around his face and a red nose. He was wielding a long staff with some kind of maraca type things tied to the top.

Simba nodded at the mandrill, "Yes Rafiki, this is him. Lee, this is Rafiki, the pride lands healer and shaman."

Rafiki walked over to me and looked me over. The look in his eye might have been slightly insane. After inspecting my legs, back, arms and just about everything in between, he let out a crazed laugh before finally looking at Nala.

"This sertanely can not be the warrior that saved you from how many hyenas?"

Nala beamed with pride as she looked at me, "He killed at least thirty the night Simba found us."

I spoke up, "Maybe not that many."

"Definitely not that many." Rafiki assured

My eyes narrowed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lee.." Nala tried.

"You look nothing like a warrior. The way you just lay there, you set yourself up to be someone's prey. You lie there, crying like a scared infant."

"Stop it," I demanded, "right now."

He cocked his head to the side, "Or what, little one, are you going to cry some more?"

I shot up to a sitting position "What I'm about to do is beat you bloody, you crazy baboon!"

"Ohh, I don't see that happening." He still wore that crazed smile.

I actually smirked like a madman, "Well then, let me open your eyes for you."

Lunging for him, I fell face first onto the stone ground when he easily dodged me. That laugh he had only made me want to beat him more. By the time I got to my feet, he was already heading to the entrance of the cave. Fallowing him outside, I felt something hard smack me across the face. Rafiki wielded his staff above his head in a striking stance. I threw a punch at him, but he easily parried and hit me again, this time with his fist. The five other punches I tried never connected, but I could tell I was wearing him down.

" Very well done; maybe Nala wasn't completely wrong about you."

"Complements won't save you now." I vowed

With that, I continued my assault. Although every punch I threw just seemed to barely miss him. He would use the smallest openings to strike, all without really hurting any major part of my body. Whatever he was doing, he was freaking Yoda at it. Finally loosing it, I started to just throw punches willy nilly. Three powerful strikes with his staff was all Rafiki needed to end it. I hit the stone ground with a thud, completely spent.

I sighed in defeat, "Okay, you win."

"Rafiki, stop it!" Nala demanded.

She, Sarafina, Sarabi, and Simba all came running out of the cave. Nala immediately came to me and started looking me over, asking me repeatedly if I was hurt. After telling her no for the third time, I turned to Rafiki with an enraged expression. I was equally angry and intrigued at Rafiki. Where did he learn that type of martial arts? For what I can assume is an old monkey, he sure could hold his own.

With Rafiki's assistance, I was able to walk back into the cave and back to my spot. He then proceeded to inspect the numerous bite marks I had acquired from my latest showdown with the Hyenas. The bandages I had on were finally able to come off. When all was said and done, I finally mustered up the courage to ask the main question that had been on my mind.

"What was all that back there?"

Rafiki looked up at me with a confused expression, "What was what?"

I rolled my eyes. "All those moves you used on me. I've studied martial arts for a while now, but I've never seen that before."

He smiled, "Ah yes, that was an ancient form of combat known as Aikido."

"The thing is, it didn't even look like you were trying to attack me. And the strikes you made don't even hurt anymore."

"The point of Aikido isn't to harm you're attacker, but to redirect them. That is what I was doing with you."

"Well, you're a good fighter." I said

Nala spoke up, "So are you Lee."

I turned to her, "This old monkey put me on my ass Nala, where were you for the last forty seconds."

"First of all, watch you're language. Secondly, you took out practically an entire army of hyenas single handedly. Rafiki can take on maybe five or six on his own; so can Simba and I. You took on thirty!"

"I had my guns with me" I said

"What else? What else did you have aside from your weapons that made you keep going?"

"You. I told myself I had to keep you safe. The thought of them hurting you again made me want to take them all on; one by one or all at once. Protecting you was all that mattered."

Rafiki laughed again, "That is what makes you a skilled warrior. You're compassion and protective instincts make you a force to be record with. "

I scoffed. "I thought you said I was like a crying infant."

"And you got to your feet to prove me wrong. That's what I thought you would do."

"You deliberately made me angry so I would attack you? That's not only mean, but uncalled for and stupid. Just consider yourself lucky I didn't have my gun in my hands or I would have shot you in the face."

"Lee!" Nala scolded.

"It is fine Nala, he would not have done it even if he had his guns with him."

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"I know only a cold blooded killer would do such a thing. The words you spoke a minute ago proves you have a deep compassion for our queen. Someone capable of risking his own life for not one, but two creatures is the exact opposite of a being that would kill for no reason like you suggested."

Nala nuzzled me and lay by my side. I petted her head and kissed her muzzle as I sat up with the zebra leg in my hand. Sarabi had brought twigs and placed them by my side the first night we came back. Setting it ablaze, I cooked the food and ate it in one minute flat. Afterwards my mouth, hands and arms were covered in blood. Nala inched her face closer to mine, uncomfortably close.

"Um Nala, what are you doing?"

"Hold still Lee."

Her tongue then slid across the entire right side of my face. I covered my face and tried to get away, but she jumped on top of me. Having enough I used my arms to hold her away from me.

"Nala, stop!"

She immediately did so. Her ears flattened on top of her head and her eyes refused to meet mine. Not saying a word, she crossed her paws and lay her head down, letting out a few suppressed snivels. Great, just wonderful, all she was trying to do was show a little compassion and me being the bull headed ass that I am screamed at her for it. Sure it was weird, but it was how her kind bonded. I stood up and told Nala I would be right back.

One minute later I was back in the cave; my entire bare upper body covered in dirt. I walked back over to Nala, who still had her head down. Clearing my throat, I finally got her attention. She just stared at me for a few seconds; maybe she finally thought I was crazy. The giggling that escaped her lips filled me with the slightest bit of happiness in days.

"I'm going to need help getting this off.'

Instructing me to lie down next to her, Nala proceeded what she started. Again, this was something I wasn't used to, but it made her happy. I almost got defensive when she started licking my hair.

"Hey, carful, I take great pride in my hair."

"You sound like Simba when he was a cub. He always hated it when Sarabi messed up his mane."

When it was all said and done, Nala let me sleep on her stomach and kept me warm.

I woke up to the sound of sinning. Two voices sang in union the same words. One of them was loud and sounded bigger; the other sounded higher pitched. From what I could tell they were both male. Placing my arm over my eyes, I tried to block out voices and go back to sleep. The sinning eventually stopped, but they started talking. I think about me.

"Hey Timon, I think this thing is still alive." That was the larger voice talking

"Alright, what have we got here." The smaller voice said.

Small fingers grabbed my left arm and raised it above my head. I opened my eyes and came face to face with a meerkat. He had tan fur and red hair on the top of his head. We just stared at each other for ten seconds, and before I could say anything, the meerkat let out a piercing scream as he bolted off me and scampered onto a red warthog with black hair.

"Come on Pumba, run." he yelled

"Hey, Timon it doesn't look dangerous. We don't even know what it is." The warthog said.

I felt Nala move slightly under my head. She yawned before looking at me and greeting me with a loving smile that reminded me so much of my mother. Returning a half hearted smile, I patted her head and she nuzzled me affectionately.

"Nala, that's a hairless monkey sleeping next to you!" the Meerkat, Timon yelled.

She turned to him, "Timon, this is the human Simba told you about. Lee, this is Timon, and that's Pumba." She said motioning towards the Warthog.

"Hi" was all I said.

"Hello, I got to say, Nala wasn't kidding when she said you were big. Are all humans as large as you?" Pumba asked

"No, I work out a lot."

Timon looked at me with a puzzled expression, "You what?"

"I, um, run a lot, lift heavy objects, some humans do that."

"Ahh, well, we just want to say, thanks for saving our queen. Simba would have been devastated if Nala hadn't come back. And he already has a lot to deal with since becoming king of the Pride lands. I tell yea, it feels like just this morning that guy ways just a cub living the Hakuna Matata life with me and Pumba."

"What was that?"

"Hakuna Matata, It means 'no worries" Pumba explained

"Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase."

"Hakuna Matata, ain't no passing craze"

"Hold it! You guys aren't about to break out into song, are you?"

"Um, no of course not." Timon said, looking a little hurt.

"Look you guys. I appreciate it, but I don't think that's for me."

"Ah, suits yourself." Timon said.

"Can we still keep him Timon?" Pumba asked

"I don't know." Timon said.

"Sorry boys, Lee is with me." Nala declared.

"He is?" they asked.

"I am?"

"Yes you are Lee."


	6. Chapter 6

Throwing the last bit of dirt on top, I patted it down to keep it in place. It wasn't all that easy to dig when it was raining out. Thunder clashed above me as I placed the two crosses right next to each other. Tears started leaking down my face as I put the finishing touch on the graves; my mom and Jenny's cross necklaces on their headstones.

Never had I expected to be burying both of these people alone. I had at least hoped Jenny and I would bury our parents beside each other. Fate can be cruel that way. The only family I had left was still lying unconscious and showed no signs of waking up. Rafiki came to check on him every day, insuring me that he could wake any day. Until then, I was left mourning them alone.

I had been so caught up in my sorrow; I had almost not felt a furry texture rub against my hand. Looking down, I noticed Nala standing next to me. Simba was right next to her, Sarabi and Sarafina stood on the other side of me. Even Pumba showed up. At first I was wondering where Timon was, but immediately got my answer as I felt a small object on my right shoulder. Timon was sitting there, his arm around my neck.

We all stood there in silence. The only thing that that could be heard was the constant sound of rain hitting the dirt and the occasional clap of thunder and lightning. Having them there made me feel less alone. I still felt the agony, but they were there to feel it with me.

After standing in the rain for about thirty minutes, the rain finally stopped. The sun peaked out behind the clouds and bathed all of us in warm sunshine. I gazed up at the sun, and I felt the slightest bit of hope. As if it was mom and Jenny telling me they were going to be okay.

Nala suggested we all go inside and rest for a while before Sarabi and Sarafina go out for an afternoon hunt. Rafiki gave Nala orders to not do any more hunting until the cub is born. That gave me an idea.

"Can you show me how to hunt?" I asked Nala.

"You want to learn?"

"Yes, I want to help."

"Lee, sweetheart, you've been through a traumatic experience; you should take time to recover."

"Please Nala, I feel like if I have something to do, it will take my mind off of it."

She sighed, "Okay, but since Rafiki says I can't hunt until the baby comes, I will leave you in the more then capable paws of Sarabi and Sarafina."

I turned to the two alder lionesses, "You girls mind tutoring a rookie?"

"Of course not, Lee." Sarabi assured

"Not at all." Sarafina said

"Trust me Lee; you are looking at the two most experienced huntresses in the pride lands. I learned all I know about hunting from them." Nala said.

And so, with my buck knife and Tomahawk in hand, I fallowed my two teachers to the grazing grounds. From what Nala tells me, all walks of prey could be seen walking these fields this time of day. And while most of their hunts take place at night, when prey have a harder time seeing them; this is also a good time to catch a meal. If done correctly, they never leave without a meal.

"Okay Lee, it's important that you stay low to the ground until you single a target out." Sarabi explained

"Then I attack and take them down, right?"

"Not exactly honey," Sarafina corrected, "your job is to chase the prey into the ambush zone, that's were Sarabi and I will be waiting."

"Gotcha."

Sarabi and Sarafina took their positions a few yards away in the tall grass; their fur coats blending in perfectly with their surroundings. I spotted two loan antelopes that strayed from their herd and were now eating almost right in front of me. Drawing my weapons, I moved my legs further back to ensure I get a good leap.

Jumping from my hiding place with a loud yell, I immediately startled the whole herd. They all took off in opposite directions. Making sure not to lose sight of my targets, I started chasing the two in the direction of Sarabi and Sarafina. I'll say this much, these guys could run. I had to run at full speed just to keep up with them. One almost broke away, I had to make a sharp turn and run right towards it to keep it on the path. And just when I felt like I was about to give out, my teachers sprang from the grass and took down the two antelope.

"Are you two sure I can't carry one of those for you" I offered, again

"Down worry Lee, we may look old but we are still capable of carrying our own dinner." Sarabi assured.

Truth be told, I know Sarabi could carry her dinner. She may not be the youngest lioness in the Pried lands, but she is the largest. Sarafina and Nala are in good shape too; but if I had to guess, Sarabi probably outweighs them both by thirty pounds of muscle. I guess that goes to show, wisdom isn't always just what comes with age. Sometimes you could get a muscled physique.

We were just in sight of Pride Rock, when we noticed Nala and Simba lounging by a pond. They nuzzled and licked each other with great love in their eyes. I could tell they were going to make great parents. Nala's head shot up when she heard us walking towards them. With a smile, she ran towards us and nuzzled me when we finally embraced.

"So ladies, how did he do?"

"He's a natural." Sarabi said.

"We will make an expert hunter out of you yet, Lee." Sarafina said as she nuzzled me.

"That's what I like to hear." Nala said as her face lit up with pride.

"Lee, Lee!" Timon said in a panicked voice.

Simba faced him, "Timon, what is it?"

"It's your dad Lee, he just woke up!"

Without a moment's hesitation, I sprinted towards Pride rock with a new found hope. As tragic as this whole event was, and as bad as our history is with each other; I've actually found myself hoping that he would wake up. He's the only family I have left, and maybe this is what we need for our relationship to get back on track. When I told Nala about the time I hit him after he shot her; she told me that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. She said the only thing I could do is apologize and if I wanted it bad enough, our relationship could thrive.

I was just thinking about what I was going to say about Jenny and Mom when I came into the den, and to my shock and terror, find it totally empty.

"Dad?"

Everyone else made it back in seconds later, all of them just as shocked as I was to not find him there.

"He was just here." Timon said

I looked around, but no other human besides me was in here. That's when I noticed my bag. Rummaging through it, I felt something get caught in my throat, and I broke into a cold sweat.

"Oh no"

"Lee, what's wrong?"

I turned to her in horror, "My colt python, it's gone!"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys, I just wanted to say to all who have read my story so far, Thank you! I've been quite a fan of the lion king for many years, heck; I grew up with both movies! As you may have guessed, Lee's journey takes place after the original and right before the sequel. And I probably should have said this earlier, but I own none of the original characters from the first two films. Only Lee and his family, I also wanted to let you know without giving too much away, my story will have some relatively dark moment, as is evidence to some of the previous scenes. So if you are all into that, great! Please read on and give and or negative feedback, anything helps. Enjoy chapter 7**

My heart was pounding a hundred times a minute. I scanned the room one more time to be sure I hadn't missed him. It was true, he was gone.

"He couldn't have gone far." Simba declared

"You're probably right, but it's not safe out there for any of you if he has a gun in his hands. We'll split up into two groups; Nala, Sarafina, Pumba and I will look for him south of Pride Rock. Simba, Sarabi, and Timon, you guys take the north. If you see him, do not approach him. Come straight to me. Alright, go!"

My team took off and headed south. I would call out for him every few minutes, never getting a response. What could he possibly be doing with a loaded weapon when he just woke up from a coma? Obviously he would be dazed and confused, and the fact that he woke up in a cave would be strange too. But he thinks it's best to just walk around a place he's never been with a gun? God forbid he shoots anyone of us before I could get to him.

We continued to search the entire southern area of the Pride lands with no luck. How could he just vanish like this? What if he accidently runs into hyenas? With only six bullets and however many he could carry, he wouldn't last long on his own. That's why I started panicking even more when the sun got lower.

"Lee, we should start heading back." Nala suggested.

"You can go back with Sarafina, I'm staying out here a while longer."

"No, Lee please, it's not safe for you out here by yourself, especially at night."

"All the more reason to find my dad before he gets eaten by some predator." I countered

"We have looked all over, where else do you think he could be?" Sarafina asked.

"I don't know, I just really hope he doesn't find the…" That's when it hit me.

"Lee, what wrong." Asked Nala

"The graves." I whispered

Timon spoke up," You don't think he'd…"

"I know he would, and he will."

Now I really needed to find him. If he were to come across the graves, I hate to think of it. Jumping to conclusions has always been a bad trait of his. My only hope is he wouldn't find them before I had a chance to break it to him. Granted, I still had no idea on how I was going to do it. But I can't think of anything worse than just waking up from a coma to find your wife and daughter dead.

We were coming up to the tree I had buried them under that was right behind Pride Rock. Sure enough, I saw a figure hovering over their graves. My father was on his knees; his back rose and fell every few seconds in a sobbing motion. He wasn't crying however, like the heavy breathing was part of a panic attack. His left hand shakily moved off his knee to reveal the gun. Clutching it so tight, his knuckles turned snow white. I was right behind him now, having the other wait to reveal themselves.

"Dad?" I said.

He didn't even look up at first. Once I called him again, his head slowly started to rise. I took even longer for him to turn and look at me. I didn't say a word to him at first, giving him time to process that I was still here with him. The think that scared and hurt me the most, there was no emotion in his eyes. I didn't exactly expect him to be overjoyed to see me given what's in front of him; but it's almost as if his soul left his body he looked so blank.

"How did it happen?" he asked in an almost robotic voice.

"The car, crashed into a tree. You were unconscious, mom's leg was broken and Jenny was a mess. Mom told me that I had to go find help, because I was the only one well enough to travel,"

"And you just LEFT THEM THERE!" he roared.

I tried to stay calm, "I didn't have a choice, and they would have starved if I hadn't gotten help. And I did, I have friends that could help us."

He turned a pointed sharply at the graves, "Look at this, a lot of good your 'friends' did them! What the hell's the point if they're gone? How could you let this happen? "

"We're still here, the two of us. And the friends I found will welcome you, I know it. Please, come back with me and we can work through this together." I pleaded.

For a split second, I saw something change. His eyes didn't look as dark as they were before. It was as if for the first time in years, he looked at me and saw me, his own flesh and blood son. Not just some guy to swap punches with when he was hammered; but the boy he had gone fishing with. The son he had taught how to shoot and went horseback riding with.

I reached out my hand, "You're all I have left."

He sighed. "Were we headed?"

"You found him!" a voice called

Simba

No, not yet, "Simba, go back!"

Too late, "What the hell!" my dad cried, raising his gun

"Dad, don't!" I cried as I lunged

BANG

I coughed, the second time I felt liquid coming from my mouth. That's when I felt it, the hot pain in the pit of my stomach. It was as if my insides had been ripped open and leaking out. While the cauterizing I did a while back was still the most painful wound I had suffered, this was a close second. My own father shot me.

The shock I felt was clear on his face. I got too weak to stand and fell to the ground. In the blink of an eye, he was back to wearing that blank, soulless expression. I heard Nala cry out my name as she rushed to my side.

"Dad" I tried, "it wasn't you're fault."

He just shook his head

"Please, I need you!"

He opened his mouth, but it took him a full ten seconds to say anything, I would later wish that he hadn't.

"I should never have been a father, I'm sorry son." He raised the muzzle to his head

"NO!"

BANG


	8. Chapter 8

It felt like I was floating in complete darkness; mostly because that was what I was doing. I didn't feel my feet touch anything, almost like I was in space. All that aside, I was completely shrouded in pitch black darkness. Bringing my hand up to my face, I couldn't even see it when it was four inches in front of me. Thinking back on what had accord before this; I could only come up with one explanation to my current situation.

"Am I dead?" I said to no one but me.

"Far from it you one." came a booming voice out of nowhere.

I scanned the room, "Who said that?"

A sudden blinding white light in front of me caused me to shield my eyes. It was enough to light up half the room. As I got more used to the light, I could make out a vague figure making its way towards me. Still not to clear enough to get a good image, and with a powerful voice like that, I could only assume this could be one person.

"Are you God?"

The silhouette chuckled, "No child also the farthest thing from."

The light shrank around the silhouette, his form resembled a lion. This guy was massive; everything about his body was pure muscle. To put it in perspective, I would have to guess if you put this guy next to Simba, he would tower above him. Simba would probably go up to his shoulder. This guy had to be the Lou Ferrigno of lions in his day.

"Greetings Lee, I have been watching you for a while now."

"What's so interesting about me?"

"I saw how you selflessly protected Nala time and again. The way you challenged Rafiki, and got much more then you expected. Also the way you assist Sarabi and Sarafina in hunting. I predict you will become a gifted hunter."

"Well, did you see what happened with my family?" I asked

His expression got slightly darker, "Yes Lee, And I am so sorry for the loses you have suffered. Believe me; I know what it is like to lose an important part of your life."

I actually chuckled, "You sound like a friend of mine."

"Would that be Simba?"

"Do you know him?"

He smiled "You could say that"

"Listen, if you've seen everything, then you know I belong with my mom and sister. If you have the power, please take me were they are. I don't want to live without them."

"You have beings back in the Pride Lands that care a great deal about you." The lion said

"Once Nala has her own cub, she won't need me, Sarabi and Sarafina will have a real grandchild. And I honestly think Simba could care less about what I do."

"Believe me; Simba has actually taken quite a liking to you."

"Please!" I begged, "I can't go through this alone, I need my family."

"Even if I had the power to, I don't think I could bring myself to do it."

"Why?" I demanded.

He placed one of his massive paws on my shoulder, "Because Lee, your journey in the Circle of life has only just begun."

"What's that?"

"Ask Simba when you see him." He began stepping away.

"No, please don't, take me with you!"

"My son and his pride will take good care of you, I promise."

I was stunned, "You're Mufasa?"

"That I am. Can you please do me a favor when you get back?"

"What?"

I woke up with a sudden jolt; panting heavily as I surveyed my surroundings. Immediately recognizing the rock walls and cave mouth, I knew I was back in Pride rock. Based on the lack of sunlight coming from either the massive gap in the ceiling or the mouth of the cave, I could only assume it was nighttime.

"He's awake!" called a frantic voice I immediately recognized as Nala's

No sooner did I hear her voice then did I feel a furry texture rubbing against my face; fallowed by a rough tongue slide across my cheek. Almost immediately I got rushed by two figures that jumped on top of me and started showering me with affection in the same manner.

"Oh sweetie, we were so worried about you!" Sarabi said in an almost sobbing manner

Sarafina tried saying something, but it only came out as a sob. I put my arms around the three as I assured them I was okay. When I tried to sit up, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen. Placing my hand over the area, I felt this huge leaf covering the gunshot wound. As soon as I felt it, my face fell realizing any hopes of all that terror, including my father's suicide was no dream. That's when I noticed Simba in the background, with a broad smile on his face; a smile that transitioned into a frown as soon as he saw my face.

He made his way over to me, "Glad to see you're alright."

"Only slightly, my father, is he really…?"

"I'm so sorry Lee." He said as his eyes cast downward.

A lump formed in the back of my throat. I slightly leaned forward as my stomach did summersaults, gagging several times with nothing coming out. Fresh tears poked at the corner of my eyes drawing a few shaky breathe before finally letting them fall. I began beating my fists against the stone floors of Pride rock, getting a few concerned looks from the three females comforting me.

"Why?" I cried, "Why does this keep happening to me?!"

Every hope I had about rebuilding a relationship with my father was gone. The only family I had left punched his own ticket, to leave to fend for myself in the African wilderness. Did the world have personal vendetta against me? First it was my mom and baby sister who fell at the jaws of jackals; then when I almost got my dad to come back from insanity only for that hope to be dashed with the bang of a gun. Finally giving into my sad, miserable life, I broke out into a sobbing mess. It could be heard all throughout the cave, the only thing keeping me from breaking down completely were the three creatures coddling me. All the while Simba was watching me with an unmistakable look of pity.

When I finally found myself out of energy and tears to cry, I just laid with Sarabi, Sarafina and Nala in complete silence. Feeling something nudge my foot, I looked up to see Simba tower over me before laying on his stomach and motioning me to climb on. At first I was hesitant, but after Nala nudged me and not feeling like arguing I reluctantly did it. The pain in my stomach made it a tad difficult to get moving, but Simba did the rest when rose to carry me outside.

"Okay Lee, look up."

The pitch black sky was decorated with millions of tiny, diamond like stars. You just couldn't get this kind of star gazing in the cities. I could almost instantly spot the Big Dipper, along with a few minor constellations. If I wasn't in such a deep emotional pit, I might have enjoyed this more. Still not getting at what his was all about, I turned to him in confusion.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"The Great Kings of the past."

"Pardon?"

"The stars are the Great Kings of the past Lee; the beings that control everything around us. They look down on us from these stars; watching over us, protecting us, giving us guidance when we need it most. I've been where you are, I lost my father too remember."

"It's not the same!" I demanded, "My father LEFT ME even after I begged him to stay!"

"Maybe it got too hard for him."

"And that makes it okay?"

"Of course not, what he did to you is inexcusable."

"He left me here alone, I've got no one now"

"That's where I have to disagree with you." Simba countered

"Why is that?" I asked in a sarcastic tone

"Did you just not see those three lionesses in there nearly jump for joy when they saw you wake up? Who also comforted you as you wept over your loss? They all adore you Lee."

I sighed, "You're right."

"Which is why Nala wanted me to come to you with a proposition."

"What is it?"

"Would you be willing to stay here as a member of our pride, as well as our son?"

A raised my eyebrows in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

"It's just we all have come to care about you so much since you came here. We feel like you're already part of the family, so why don't we make it official?"

"You guys… actually want to adopt me?"

He nodded, "It would mean the world to us."

What did I really have waiting for me back in the states anyway? Mom, Dad and Jenny were gone; I didn't have any cousins. Both sets of my grandparents were dead. Here, there was Nala, Simba, Sarabi and Sarafina. Timon and Pumba were a riot; Rafiki was okay, despite his slight insanity. I had a family here.

I sighed, "Okay."


	9. Chapter 9

Simba and I made our way back into Pride Rock, with me still riding on his back. Nala was the first to notice us as her head shot up and soon Sarabi and Sarafina fallowed suet. They all had a hopeful look in their eyes, like they all already knew my answer to their proposal. When we got closer however, I saw Nala's face sort of darken in a way. One could say she had a look of fear on her features.

Once we were right in front of the three females, Simba laid down on his stomach so I could climb down. That simple task proved very difficult, however, because right when I lifted my leg to swing over Simba, a pain shot through my stomach like the bullet the other day. It wasn't nearly as painful as actually getting shot, but it still felt like my intestines had been heated up to a painful degree. Sarabi and Sarafina rushed to help getting on either side of me. Sarabi allowed me to push on her to get my leg over Simba's massive frame and Sarafina let me lean on her so I wouldn't fall flat on my face. When all was said and done, I found myself resting once again on the stone platform right up against Nala.

"So, what did you and Simba talk about?" Sarabi asked in an almost overjoyed tone

I looked up at her, "Just about the great kings of the past being in the stars." Trying to hide my excitement over what I was about to tell them.

"Oh" Sarabi sighed as she cast her eyes downward,

"Oh, and we talked it over and decided it would be a good idea if I lived here with all of you." I said as a smile spread across my face

Sarafina's eyes sparkled, "You mean.."

Simba chuckled, "Mom, Sarafina, let me introduce you to your new grandson, Lee."

"Yes!" Nala squealed with pleasure as she rub up against me so hard it almost hurt.

Her mother and mother in law both did the same. The combined weight of the three of them almost made me suffocate.

"Hey, squishing the new family member here." I said in an almost muffled tone.

'Oh sorry honey." Sarafina said

I actually smiled, "Don't be."

We stayed like this for a good chunk of time. Even Simba eventually came over and lay with us. I reached over and ruffled his mane, earning a few giggles from the girls. Simba smirked and mirrored my actions, ruffling my hair with his massive paw. Despite the fact that it was almost painful, I started laughing out loud. For the first time since the car crash, I felt almost completely happy.

It's just, what was I doing living with a pride of lions? I mean, they all seem to care about me but, I was human. I'm not like them, and I knew it. They knew it too but they didn't show it. Not yet anyway. Pushing those feelings aside for now, I turned to my two new grandmothers to say something I wanted to for a while.

"Hey, when we go out hunting again, can I be the one to make the kill?" I asked with pleading eyes

"Oh, sweetheart, in our pride, you can't make a kill until you take part in your first hunt, by yourself." Sarafina said

I frowned, "I thought lions hunted with the whole pride."

"We do, but before you can take part and killing with the pride, you have to prove you can make a successful kill on your own." Sarabi explained

My face lit up with an idea, "What if I take my gun with me? Then I wouldn't be making a manual kill."

Simba spoke up, "I don't know, if you kill too many of them, the animals of the pride lands might start to fear you. And that's the last thing we want. We want them to love you, like we do."

"How about this", I tried once more, "I will only take one bullet to kill one animal and not one more after that."

After a few seconds of pondering, Simba smiled, "It's a deal."

I stuck out my hand, "Let's shake on it."

"What?" Simba asked as he frowned in confusion.

I chuckled, "Put your paw on my hand and shake it, it's a human's sign of trust."

He did, "Deal" I said.

I made my way to my desired sniping spot with my .300 bolt action hunting rifle slung over my shoulder. Its camouflage color blending in perfectly with the colors of the tree I was currently in. Spotting the herd of zebra several yards away that Sarabi, Sarafina and I claimed would be our target. They were currently setting up an ambush on the ground close to where the herd was grazing.

As if on cue, Sarafina launched herself from the tall grass and sprinted in the direction of the herd. Taking out my bullet, I inserted it in my gun and waited for the right moment to shoot. Meanwhile, Sarafina kept up the chase at an impressive speed, leading a lone zebra right to Sarabi, who was positioned several feet away behind a large rock.

We both were expecting her to just jump out from behind the rock and finish it off. That's why it was so surprising and downright awesome to see her make an impressive leap off the top and stick the landing right on top of the Zebra. I was so awestruck at her impressive move; I almost forgot that I had a kill to make. Aiming down the notch just like I had so many times before with my father; I spotted another lone Zebra that was far behind the rest of the herd. After slowly exhaling to steady my aiming, I squeezed the trigger bringing my prey down with one clear shot.

"I have to say Lee, well done. Although, I wish I knew ahead of time how loud you're weapon is." Sarafina commented as we made our way back to Pride rock.

"Sorry, I should have warned you ahead of time." I said with a guilty look.

"Don't be honey, you did well." Sarabi praised.

We continued on until we were just below Pride rock. Despite my relatively good mood from my successful hunt to provide for my new family, I still had this nagging pain in the back of my mind. It's that I never got the chance to save my mom and sister. They needed me, and when they were being torn to shreds by predators, I was sleeping. How am I ever going to let that go!

Sarabi turned to Sarafina and whispered something I couldn't make out, and then Sarafina made her way up to Pride rock with the Zebra she and Sarabi killed. The one I shot was small enough for me to carry. Now it was just the two of us, staring blankly at each other. With a gentle smile, Sarabi laid on a soft patch of grass that was just beside pride rock. It not only had lush, green grass, but also an impressive array of flowers spread all throughout it.

"Lee, come lay down next to me." She insisted.

Not wanting to pass up the opportunity for some comfort, and not wanting to disappoint her, I dropped my kill and made my way to where she was. At first, we didn't say anything; we just took in the beautiful sight that was the Pride lands. A magnificent sunset was currently painting the savanna plains with a large amount of colors. It looked almost exactly like the sunset I had seen the day I met Nala.

"Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?" Sarabi finally asked.

My breathing became shaky as I answered her, "Why did they have to die Sarabi?"

I almost immediately felt a familiar wet object glide against my cheek. That one action was enough to get the flood gates to burst. Clinging to my new grandmother like a life preserver, I started weeping at an almost uncontrollable rate. It was nowhere near as dramatic as my crying after waking up from getting shot and finding out my dad took his own life, but it was still plenty sad. Sarabi just constantly nuzzled me as she always did, offering the occasional 'ssshhh' to try and get me to calm down. When I finally did, Sarabi looked me dead in the eye.

"Truth be told Lee, I don't know. I don't think anyone can truly know why people we care about disappear from our lives so suddenly. We just have to hope that wherever they are now, they are better and happy. Believe it or not, I went through a similar ordeal to what you're going through now. The day Scar told my Pride that my mate and son where no longer with us, I became inconsolable. "

Now that was something I didn't expect to hear. What could possibly be more agonizingly painful then losing not only your significant other, but also your only child all in one day? Sarabi must have felt like her whole world had ended that day. But against all the odds, she was still here today.

"Do you know what kept me going through all that time?"

I only shook my head

"Family. Sarafina, and more importantly Nala, were there for me through all of it. Helping raise Nala alongside Sarafina somewhat eased my pain. Zazu was a big help too. Simba's majordomo, he's been away visiting family for quite some time. I'm sure he'll grow to love you. More importantly, do you know what I learned through all those years of hardship? That no matter what you go through, you can always rise above it. It never truly goes away, but you are never too far gone to move forward. Especially if you have a loving family beside you; and I promise you have that."

Before anyone could say anymore, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from the mouth of Pride Rock. The owner of the voice was unmistakable.

"Nala" I whispered.

Both Sarabi and I ran in the direction of her cries. What we saw nearly put a stop to my heart. Nala was lying on the ground, surrounded by Sarafina, Simba, Timon and Pumba. Making my way over to her, I cradled her head in my lap, wiping away the tears that covered her face. Sarabi faced her son with fear in her eyes.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She is having the baby."

"Lee, run and fetch Rafiki." Simba demanded

"It's too late, it's already coming." Nala cried in sheer agony

"Nala, we're all right here." I reassured her

"Lee" Simba ordered, "You need to help Nala deliver the baby."

"I'm not a doctor"

"Lee, please." Nala pleaded

"Nala, I don't know anything about childbirth, I can't do this."

"Lee," she demanded, "You're our only hope."

Sighing, I made my way over to get a better angle at what I was about to do. This is something I never thought I would do in my lifetime. Yet another activity right next to 'brawling with hyena's' and 'riding on the back of a male lion' to cross off the bucket list. Out of all the things I've done so far, this one scared me the most. But I knew if either of them were to make it, I had to put everything I had into it.

It took almost half an hour, but Nala was finally ready to push. She was breathing heavily and crying in agony. Her mother and Sarabi were on either side of her and Simba had his front paws wrapped around her in a hugging gesture. With one last piercing roar type scream, Nala's cub fell out into my hands. For a minute I was overjoyed, but it was quickly replaced with unmistakable horror.

Nala looked at me," What's the matter Lee?"

I couldn't look her in the eye, "It's not breathing."

In one final act of desperation, I leaned down and breathed air into the cub's lifeless body. After that I pressed down on its tiny chest numerous times. Continuing this ongoing CPR for I don't know how long, all the noises around me almost became mute. Weather it was Nala's uncontrollable sobbing at the loss of her child, or Simba telling me it was too late. Another young life wasn't about to be lost on account of me. Finally, I heard the faintest breath come from the cub's tiny mouth.

"It's breathing!" I assured.

Nala looked at me in disbelief, "What is it?"

"It's a girl." I said

I tried to hand the cub off to Nala, but she latched onto my arm with her tiny paws. Every time I tried to get her to let go, she would just latch on again. It was as if she thought I was her mother, or maybe brother would be the case maybe. Whatever the reason, everyone in the cave got a good laugh out of it.

"Looks like she already knows you" Simba said

I smiled in pure joy as a tear slid down my cheek, "Yeah, she does."

Another little sister.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Hey everybody, I'm sorry about the unusually long wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Just a quick heads up, several new characters will be introduced in this chapter. None of which are mine, who might they be? I suggest you read and find out. Enjoy!**

The next day, I woke up to an all too familiar sensation. That sensation being rough, wet tongues sliding over my face. One of my eyes opened just in time to see one of them come close to me once again. The second tongue slid across my neck a second later. Sarabi and Sarafina were currently giving me an unrequested bath.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked as Sarabi licked the top of my head.

Sarafina looked at me, "Well, we can't have our grandson looking dirty on the day of his big presentation, now can we?"

"Presentation, what presentation?" I asked

"The presentation of the new prince and princess to all the creatures of the Pride Lands." Sarabi explained

"Does this happen every time a new member is born into the royal family?"

"Yes dear, it seems like only yesterday Simba had to be presented to the Pride Land's subjects." Sarabi said.

"And since Nala is busy cleaning your sister, we volunteered to make sure you look your best today." Sarafina stated with joy.

Wow, I was going to be presented to all the animals of the Pride Lands. Wait, I thought in horror, I was being presented to ALL the animals of the Pride Lands!? Why was I just now being told about this? What was I going to say? What if I had to prepare a big speech to say to everyone? Not a lot of things scare me, but getting presented to a presumably large crowd of animals, especially on such short notice does freak me out a little, okay a lot.

"And you guys just decided this out of the blue?" I asked in a rather freaked out tone.

Sarafina frowned, "Lee, the presentation usually always happens when the first cub or cubs is born, and since we adopted you so close to your sisters birth we decided to present you together."

I sighed, "I guess it's no big deal, I just have this fear of getting up in front of crowds. I have no idea what I'm going to say. More importantly, what if they don't like me?"

Both my grandmothers shared a sympathetic smile before nuzzling me lovingly. I gladly responded by wrapping my arms around their necks. These two were the best grandmother's I could ask for. I never knew either of my original grandparents, because they all died either before or shortly after I was born. Just because I never got to experience this kind of relationship before, didn't make this one any less amazing.

"Do you want our advice, dear?" Sarabi asked.

"Sure."

"Just be yourself, and we're sure they will love you." Sarafina stated.

"How can you be sure?" I asked

Sarabi licked me before saying, "Because we do."

"Is he almost ready ladies?" called a new voice from above

I looked up to see a bird flying above us. He was covered in blue feathers; they started out light, but grew darker as they further away from his body. The same shade of blue feathers occupied the top of his head. His underbelly was completely white, while his beak and feet were orange. He finally landed on Sarabi's shoulder and bowed to me.

"Greetings young prince, I am Zazu, king Simba's majordomo. I am sorry to meet your acquaintance so late. I was visiting family away from the Pride Lands. Queen Nala told me all about how you saved her life on more than one occasion. Let me just say it is an honor to meet the hero of the queen and her new son."

I nodded in his direction, "Glad to meet you too Zazu. Sarabi tells me you are quite the friend."

Zazu smiled before turning to Sarabi, "So, he's ready for his presentation?"

Sarabi nodded, "If he were any cleaner, he would shine like the sun."

"King Simba says Rafiki will be here any minute to bestow the blessings on the two royal children." Zazu said.

That's when Simba made his way into the cave. He was wearing a smile that was so bright it could rival the sun. Why wouldn't he? His first child was being presented to the kingdom. While I did expect him to go straight to Nala to get a look at my sister, he made his way over to me. All the while, he never lost that dazzling smile or gleam in his eye. One could almost say that a lot of the joy was towards me too.

"How do you feel?" he asked when he was right in front of me.

"I feel like I'm about to throw up." I answered in terror.

He chuckled, "You'll do great, trust me."

I shrugged, "If you can't trust you're king, who can you trust?"

"Exactly" he agreed.

"Although my situation is a little different than yours, if I understand this correctly, you were an infant when Rafiki presented you."

"And?"

"You most likely had no idea what was going on. I'm 16 and well aware of what's about to happen."

"You're 16 moons old, well that's a little younger then Nala and I thought."

I frowned, "Moons? No I'm 16 years old."

Simba's eyes widened in disbelief, "How are you still alive, my mother and Sarafina are only 10 years old."

"Ah hem.", Sarabi and Sarafina said in union.

He sheepishly looked back at them, "Meaning no offence, obviously."

"Humans age half as fast as lions do Simba. The healthiest of my kind can live well into our hundreds."

"Amazing." Sarabi said

"Anyway, I guess I'm just a little nervous is all."

"Don't be, you'll be fine, son." Simba said.

I was taken aback by that sentence. The fact that this king could call me son brought a mixture of feelings to me. For one, I felt a twinge of love form when I heard him say it. It was as if he loved me like his own flesh and blood, and not just a creature he took in out of pity or gratitude. Then again, he wasn't my real father. He probably only agreed to adopt me to please Nala, probably.

"There is the male of the hour." Called a voice from outside

Rafiki came walking in with that same crazed look on his face. He went straight for Simba and wrapped his arms around him. Simba wrapped one of his massive front legs around Rafiki in a hugging gesture. After briefly addressing both my grandmothers, Rafiki ruffled my hair in a playful manner, much to my grandmother's dismay.

"Rafiki, careful, we just got him cleaned. Kings of the Past knows where your hands have been today!" Sarafina scolded him.

Rafiki chuckled before addressing me, "Rafiki hears you were Nala's caregiver when she delivered your sister. How many times has it been now that you've saved her life?"

"I did what anyone would do. Not that it was easy; I just knew I wanted her to live. Her and the cub" I said.

Rafiki nodded, "And now that cub is your sister. And may Rafiki just say a very lucky sister at that, having a protective, strong brother like you."

"Thank you Rafiki, that… means a lot to me."

"Now, we must get the two of you ready for your big day." Rafiki said

I frowned in confusion, "I just got a bath, what else is there?"

He didn't answer in words. Instead, he proceeded to pick up a small pile of dirt from the floor.

"Close your mouth." He instructed

"Why?"

Without warning, Rafiki flung the dirt square at my face. It happened so fast, I didn't even have time to close my mouth. As you might have guessed, a portion of it landed on the roof of my tongue. Coughing, I spat the dirt out of my mouth and grimaced as the taste still lingered. I looked up at Rafiki with a mildly annoyed expression.

"A little bit of a warning next time would be great."

"Didn't Rafiki say to close your mouth?" he countered

"You could have told me you were going to fling dirt at my face."

"It is meant as a blessing young prince, one of two given to each royal family member at birth." Rafiki stated.

"What's the other?"

At that, Rafiki grabbed one of his maraca type objects off his staff and cracked it open. Apparently, it wasn't a maraca at all, but a fruit. Red juice leaked out of the broken orb and Rafiki scooped it in his hand. When he started making his way towards me with it, I was a bit cautious. However, when I found that the scent was a sweet, citrus type, I didn't seem to care. As he spread it on top of my forehead the scent became stranger to the point of almost overwhelming my scenes.

"That is the second blessing." Rafiki answered

Nala finally made her way over to the rest of us with the small bundle of fur in her jaws. She was not as small as I originally thought she was. In fact, she looked almost a bit chubby. Who knew lion cubs had baby fat like humans did? Her fur was not pale white like Nala's or Sarafina's, but not nearly as dark beige as Sarabi's. If I had to compare it to anyone's, I would say it looked most like Simba's peach colored fur, with a little bit of Nala's coat mixed in to keep it a few shades lighter.

The cub's mother placed her in my lap before nuzzling me as she always did. In a way that made me think I could be her own son. Because when she nuzzled me, in some way, I knew she couldn't tell the different between me and her daughter, aside from the obviously physical ones. To her, I was not only a lion, but her son.

"I'm so proud of you." Nala said in an almost chocked up tone.

I chuckled, "I haven't been presented yet."

"I'm still proud to call you my son."

My new sister was currently climbing around my lap. She almost stepped off before I caught her in one hand. Small meowing noises escaped her mouth as I brought her up to get a good look at her. Her eyes were not yet open, probably still from being too young. At least that what I thought until they started to tighten. Gasps of excitement could be heard around the cave as my sister opened her eyes for the first time. She had the same shade of red that her father and grandmother Sarabi did.

I smiled, "Hey there. I'm you're big brother Lee."

She responded with by swiping her little paw at my face. Lucky for me, her claws weren't out, so all that hit my nose was her fluffy paw. Several 'awes' and coos could be heard from all my family members in the cave. The cub looked around the room in search of the noises before looking back at me with a kitten like 'meow'. She put her paws on my cheeks before covering my face with ten or twenty licks with her puny tongue. I kissed the top of her head, earning even more affectionate noises from everyone.

I looked up at Simba and Nala, "What are we going to call her?"

Nala smiled, "It is usually Rafiki's job to name the royal cubs, well Rafiki?"

The Shaman came over to me as the cub still sat on my lap. He reached down to pet her, only for her to lower her head and back up against me seeking protection. I picked her up and held her tight in my hand to present her to Rafiki. A smile spread across his face as he as his hand stroked her head.

"Kiara, that's a good name for a future queen, wouldn't you say?"

"Beautiful." Nala praised

"Agreed." Simba said.

My two grandmothers nodded in approval.

"What does it mean?" I asked.

"Brightness." Sarabi answered

"Well, that fits." I answered with a smile.

"Did we miss it?" Pumba called from the entrance, Timon riding on his head.

Simba turned to his friends, "No, you're right on time!"

Rafiki threw the dirt on Kiara like he did to me. He then proceeded to walk outside and stand on the near edge of Pride Rock with Simba, myself, and Nala with Kiara in her jaws in tow. I could hear the constant noise of who knows how many animals down below. The wind picked up and swirled around Rafiki, almost as if something or someone was controlling it. I became even more suspicious when the wind spread to Simba, then Nala, even me.

The cool breeze was enough to make me shiver. When Rafiki came back over, Nala set Kiara in his trusting hands. He spread the same liquid on her forehead and raised her over the edge. A small lump formed in my throat at the sight of my new sister being presented to her future subjects. They all seemed to love her. She seemed to be getting a kick out of this too, judging from her playful swiping at the crowd below.

"Ah Pumba, just look at the little guy, a real chip off the old block." Timon praised "And you gotta know who's going to raise him."

"His Parents?" Pumba answered.

"Okay sure, technically, but who's going to teach him the really important stuff; like how to belch, and dig for grubs. I tell ya Pumba, it's gonna be just like old times you, me, and the little guy."

Rafiki chuckled, "It is a girl."

"Girl." Timon corrected

Then his eyes widened in horror, "GIRL? Oy." He and Pumba said in union as they fainted.

I laughed as Rafiki placed his hand on my shoulder.

"It is time." He said

Simba, Nala, Sarabi, and Sarafina each nuzzled me before I made my way up to the summit. It felt like each step took all the energy I had. The midday sun beat down on my skin as I reached Pride Rock's edge. Every African Animal you could think of was waiting to see me. Elephants and Giraffes occupied the very back, being the largest and tallest animals that would make sense. Every other animal from zebras, okapis, hippos, and I could barely see monkeys in the very front. Despite it being an entire city of animals, not a sound could be heard among them.

"What do I do?" I asked Rafiki

He grabbed my hand and raised it high. What followed was a chorus of animal cries that nearly shook the earth. The elephants blew their trumpets before rearing up and coming down again, making the birds perched on the nearby trees scatter. The monkeys hollered and threw their paws in the air; zebra's banged their hooves in the dirt. They were all cheering, for me.

When everything was said and done, Nala and my grandmothers took Kiara back inside Pride Rock to lie down. Meanwhile, Simba took me to get a better look at the kingdom and its subjects. We passed by many an animal, surprisingly; all who we passed seemed to even like me. They all bowed to me, even going as far to refer to me as "Your Grace." Simba would occasionally stop to talk to some of his subjects, not even about anything important. It reminded me of when my father and mother would talk to the neighbors on a Sunday morning. This showed me that Simba wasn't just the ruler of these creatures; he was a friend to them. He was especially friendly with a hippo that occupied the large lake known as Big Springs.

"Good morning Basi." Simba greeted politely

"Good morning your majesty, and good morning to you too young prince." He greeted us both with a bow.

"Good morning Basi." I said

Basi was probably the largest hippo in his pod. I would think you would have to be to be an alpha male of a group that would rely so much on brute strength. He had legs as thick as tree trunks, and his middle could be as tall and weigh as much as a small car. His head was smaller, but not by much. Two big teeth stuck out of his top lip, three small hairs stuck out of the top of his head.

"So Basi, how is your mate doing, the pregnancy is going along fine I imagine."

Basi smiled, "Rafiki said she is due in nine months, we both couldn't be more excited."

I raised my eyebrows with a smile, "Congratulations sir."

Basi laughed, "Please, call me Basi, and thank you young prince."

"You can call me Lee."

A sudden cry and a huge amount of force sent me flying across the dirt and into the water. I landed on my face as the cool liquid splashed around me. Looking up to see who knocked me over, I was met with the fiery gaze of a not so friendly looking crocodile. His lime green scales were the color of spring grass, I was almost amazed at how beautiful it was, until he opened his mouth and reveal dozens of razor sharp, pearly white teeth. The crocodile advanced at a great speed, even Simba couldn't get to me before this guy tore off my arm. My attacker was immediately halted by Basi as he shielded me from any harm.

The crocodile addressed him, "Move aside Basi."

"You won't touch the new prince Makuu." Basi assured.

"Makuu!" shouted another voice.

We all looked to the direction of the shore, were another crocodile was standing with a furious looking Simba. This crocodile was several shades darker, but his underbelly was about the same shade as Makuu. He and Simba made their way down to us, and the darker crock addressed Makuu.

"You should know better than to attack the new prince. You're lucky King Simba doesn't banish you right here and now!" the dark crock said angrily.

Simba turned to me, "Lee, are you okay?"

"I'm okay Simba." I said as Basi helped lift me out of the water.

Simba turned to Makuu, "Apologies to my son at once."

Makuu looked at me with a neutral expression on his face, "My apologies young prince. I just wanted to see if the human who killed an army of hyenas was as tough as they say. I have to admit, I am slightly disappointed."

I couldn't say anything before he walked away with an evil cackle. The sound of it sent a chill to my core. Simba turned to introduce the other crocodile.

"Lee, this is Pua, the leader of the crocodile float of the Pride Lands."

I nodded to him, "Good to meet you."

He bowed to me, "Likewise, sire. And please excuse Makuu; he can be overzealous at times."

"Yeah, no kidding." I agreed.

"Speaking of Makuu, I need to talk with him over this matter, good day to you both. You as well Basi."

I turned back to Basi, "Thank you…for what you did."

Basi smiled, "Anytime, I'm sure you would have done the same."

Simba and I said our goodbyes before making our way back to Pride Rock.

 **A/N: as you can see, I do plan on brining several, if not all the main characters from "The Lion Guard" into my story. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, till next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter isn't as long as the last one, But I hope you will like it just as much.**

The first thing I heard was the TV still on. Then I felt the soft texture of the pillow below my head. I couldn't believe it at first. When I finally opened my eyes, I was back in the hotel room I left with my family. It was still dark, as evidence from the lack of sunlight peeking through the shades. Aside from the TV , the whole place was as silent as a tomb. So much so, that I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the voice I never thought I'd hear again call me by name.

"Lee?" Jenny asked.

Whipping my head downward, my eyes nearly popped out of my head at the sight of my sister. She was dressed in the same attire she wore that same night. Her yellow hair a wadded mess with a sleepy look lingering in her eyes. She pushed her head off my chest and rested it against the headboard.

"Are you okay, Lee? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said in a worried voice.

Not able to contain myself any longer, I threw my arms around her and wept for all I was worth. Weather I was just dreaming the events of the last few weeks or this specific night, I didn't care either way. All that mattered at that moment was that I was with my baby sister again. The poor girl didn't know what to make of the situation; she just hugged me back and tried talking over my cries.

"Lee, Lee, please don't cry. It's just me, Jenny. Did you have a bad dream? Talk to me big brother!"

"I… I thought I lost you." I stammered through my tears.

"Lost me? Lee I'm right here." She said in an almost amused manner.

"No, you don't understand, I saw you and mom getting eaten by jackals. My friends and I found you, I wanted to kill those animals, but the king wouldn't let me."

"What king, Lee you're not making any scene! It was all a dream." She said in a hushed, panicked voice.

"What's going on sweetie?"

I looked up, "Mom!"

Grabbing her and pulling her in a death grip hug, I somehow managed to cry a whole new set of tears. My mother patted my head and stroked my hair as she tried to shush me to no avail. Even if the old man woke up and started yelling at me to shut my damn mouth, I would even hug him too. Everything seemed to be back to normal.

Until the old man came over.

At first, I didn't see anything wrong with him. He sauntered over, with a slight drag like he was still fighting that alcohol he had. It wasn't until I saw he head that my heart nearly stopped. On the right side of his head, there was a gapping bloody wound. When he turned his head, you could see a hole as big around as my thumb. Blood oozed down his face, it covered almost half of it. Such a large portion was missing from the top of his head; I could even see the top of his brain. Despite all of this, he not only was able to walk, but he could still speak too.

"Where were you boy?" he asked in a whisper.

"Mom, what's wrong with.." I stopped short.

When I tried to grab my mom's arm, I couldn't feel it. Looking at her, I jumped back so fast I hit my head on the headboard. Her left arm was completely gone, torn right out of the socket, like before. The look in her eye was completely sole less as she spoke to me.

"Where were you, Lee?"

"You sent me away! I tried to find help " I cried.

It was the sight of Jenny that broke me all together. She was littered with bite marks on her arms, legs, even her face. Her stomach was completely gone, and her blood was soaking through the sheets. Backing away, I let out several puppy like whimpers, like I was a little kid about to get beat up by a group of scary looking kids. Her face was just as blank and emotionless as my parents.

"You weren't here to protect us, Lee to protect me." She cried

"It's all your fault, boy." My father roared.

"No, no it was the…"

"It was you, while we were dying in agony, you were getting your beauty sleep?" my mother asked

Jenny looked me straight in the eye, I could only see her face, "It was you Lee… You killed us."

Shooting up strait as an arrow, I panted like a dog. At firs I was so startled, it took me forever to actually feel the rough, solid texture of Pride Rocks ground. Looking over to my left, I was Simba sleeping soundly. Nala was asleep under me, apparently not noticing my sudden awakening. Kiara was in my lap, sliding off when I sat up, I was honestly surprised she hadn't woken and started crying. Trying not to wake her, I gently picked her up and laid her beside Nala. Almost like a zombie, I shakily stood and walked outside; unaware of the set of eyes that were fallowing my every move.

The night sky was as beautiful as ever. Possibly millions of start danced across it. A full moon was at its highest point, and it almost lit up the whole peak of Pride Rock it was so bright. None of that did the slightest bit of good to ease my emotional agony. I sat on the very tip of Pride Rock with those menacing words ringing in my head like a clap of thunder.

"It was you Lee, you killed us.

I looked down at the ground that was stories below. It was so far down, I couldn't see the bottom. My vision became blurry as it was the day I found my family, almost like I couldn't control my body. I wonder if a fall from this height would hurt if I jumped.

"It was you Lee, you killed us."

"Lee?"

I turned to see Sarafina make her way towards me. Her face wore a twinge of worry. She slowly started walking towards me. Not even bothering to stand, I just hung my head in sorrow. When she finally got over to me, she poked me with her muzzle before speaking to me again.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Lunging forward, I clamped down on her and let out a silent cry. Not missing a beat, Sarafina wrapped one of her front legs around me and licked my face. Burying my face in her fur, I sobbed on her, not caring if anyone heard me.

"Lee, what's the matter?" she asked

"It.. It was me."

She looked me in the eye, "What was you, dear?" she said in that same caring voice.

"I killed my family. If I hadn't been asleep, I could have saved them. It's all my fault!"

I felt her paw caress my face as she licked me a tenth time. The look on her face was stern, but at the same time loving.

"You listen to me right now Lee. None of what happened to your family is your fault. None of it, do you hear me? You are one of the good things in this world. Nala knows that; so do Simba, and Sarabi, Timon and Pumba. So do I."

I felt myself gradually start to calm down at her words. My sobbing eventually reducing to sniveling as I still leaned against her. She continued to shush me as she patted my back and licked my face. When I finally had no more tears left in me, my grandmother looked me in the eye to address me.

"Feel better?"

"A little."

"Come back inside, we need to get some sleep."

"I don't want to have another nightmare."

She thought a minute before she came up with an idea, "Do you like music?"

"Um, yes."

"Come here." She instructed as she laid flat on her side.

When I did, Sarafina started humming a melody.I swear she had the vocals to be a professional singer. I recognized the song almost immediately.

"Where did you learn 'You are my Sunshine. Sarafina?"

She looked down at me, "I heard a human mother sing it to her child once when I was a young cub. I used to sing It to Nala when she had trouble sleeping. How do you know this song, Lee?"

"My mom used to sing it to me and my sister."

"Oh."

I leaned back against her and closed my eyes, "Please continue."

And she did, her angel like voice could bring the strangest creature to his knees, That, along with the cool night air and the harmony of crickets in the background, I slowly started to lose myself to sleep once again.

"Sara, um, Grandma?"

"Yes Honey?"

"I love you."

I felt her nuzzle me for the umpteenth time that noight, "Never as much as I love you Lee. Don't ever forget that."

And I wouldn't.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hello again everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. And, yes it was relatively shorter then some of my previous ones, but I hope the ending made up for it. I try to make scenes were Lee forms close connections with his new family members, as is evidence by last chapter's conclusion. While trying to figure out a way to do this, I remembered back when I was a little boy, and my grandmother would sing, you guessed it, 'You are my Sunshine' when I sat with her at her house. And seeing as how I already gave one moment of Lee and Sarabi together, I thought it would be a good idea to let Sarafina have this moment with him. I may also introduce new characters in this chapter, none of which are mine. They all belong to Disney. Now, without further or do, please enjoy chapter 12.**

The sound of early birds chirping brought me out of my slumber. Squinting my eyes before opening them, I slowly rose to a sitting position careful to not wake Sarafina. When I did sit up, I noticed there was a third person on the peak with us. Simba was sitting on the furthest edge of the Pride Rock, gazing out into the distance. The early colors of the morning danced across his face, almost making him look otherworldly.

"Did you and Sarafina sleep walk out here?" he asked without even turning around

I rubbed my eyes, "Not exactly. I had trouble sleeping, she helped me sleep."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I hesitated, "Maybe later."

He turned to me, "Well, good news is, we have nothing but time today. You and I have a long walk ahead of us."

I raised an eyebrow, "Where exactly are we going?"

"To a meercat colony; Timon's home colony to be exact. His mother is dying to meet you."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, trust me, she's going to adore you. She still looks at me like the grandson she never had. He has an uncle too, Uncle Max Timon calls him"

"How do they know about me?"

"News travels fast around the Savannah, especially news about the royal family, which you are a part of now."

I looked away, "Right."

"Lee? What are you doing out here?"

I turned to see Nala walking out of Pride Rock. Sarabi came out seconds later with Kiara in her jaws. Rafiki said it would be any day before she would start walking. An event everyone was excited to see. I still remembered the day Jenny walked for the first time. She was a year old, and ran right across the kitchen floor, right up to me, laughing when I scooped her up and tickled her stomach. Pushing those thoughts aside, I addressed my mother and grandmother.

"Good morning ladies. I'm sorry if my absence from my normal resting place alarmed you. A troubling nightmare made it hard for me to get back to sleep, Sarafina helped me."

Nala nuzzled me, "I'm sorry you had a bad dream sweetie, do you want to talk about it?"

Simba spoke up, "Lee and I actually have to get going, we have to visit Timon's colony remember?"

Nala sighed, "Okay, stay safe, and Simba, if Makuu tries anything like he did the other day, tell him he'll have me to answer to."

Simba nuzzled her, "Yes ma'am."

Gathering up my tomahawk and pistol for the journey ahead, and after hugging my mother, grandmother and sister, I woke up Sarafina. The embrace we shared felt stronger than before. She assured me that we could continue that same action whenever I wanted. Telling her I would keep that in mind, I turned to Simba.

"I'm ready when you are."

On our way down from Pride Rock's slope, we ran into Timon and Pumba waiting for us.

"Ah, there you are, "Timon said as he jumped off Pumba's head, "I tell you, my ma and uncle Max can't wait to meet the hero of the queen."

I held my hand up, "I'm no hero, just a person who did what was right."

"I'm not sure Nala sees it that way." Simba said.

"Well, let her see it however she wants to."

We made our way across the Pride Lands, taking in numerous sights along the way. Herds of animals passed us by, all of them addressing Simba and I as 'sire' and 'Prince Lee'. I still am not used to that title. A large watering hole was where we stopped for a drink that is also where a herd of zebra and two elephants were currently lounging. One of the elephants was obviously male, due to his larger size. He had a light grey pelt, as opposed to the females pinkish grey one. Another noticeable different between the two is, the female's right tusk was broken.

Kneeling down and cupping water into my hands, I took several large drinks, feeling the cool liquid quench my thirst. It was only after relieving my thirst issue did I realize how hungry I was; the rumbling in my stomach demanding that I find sustenance. Finding a tree right next to the watering hole, I was relieved to see it was occupied by mangos. Personally, I had never tasted this kind of fruit before; but I'll try anything once. The one issue I found when trying to get to them; the tree was impossible for me to climb. And if I fell, in the unlikely event that I survived, Nala would have my ass when she found out. Despite adopting me for a short time now, she takes it to heart; as if she had been doing it my whole life.

"Pardon me." A female voice spoke

I turned to see the female elephant standing right behind me; the male on her left and Simba on her right.

"Greetings Prince Lee, I am Ma Tempo," the female said with a bow.

I nodded, "The pleasures all mine miss."

She giggled, "So polite, I see you have rubbed off on him, your majesty."

Simba shrugged, "He is just naturally a good hearted being, I can take no credit."

"And this," Ma Tempo pointed to the male with her trunk, "is my father, Aminifu."

The male, Aminifu bowed to me as well, "Greetings Prince Lee. I must say, it is an honor to meet the new son of the king and queen. Your tale of vanquishing an army of hyenas to protect queen Nala; even before she adopted and all because it was right; the Pride Lands need more creatures like you."

His voice was elderly. I suppose that isn't that big a surprise considering most elephants can live well into their hundreds. The weight of his words filled me with a large amount of pride. They said word travels fast in the Savanna, but who knew this many creatures got this much joy out of a few dead hyenas?

"Well, apparently I did something you all approved of." I stated in an amused voice

"Trust me, Prince Lee, "Ma Tempo said, "The world would be a better place without those hyenas."

I nodded

"What are you doing anyway, Lee?" Simba asked me.

I pointed up, "I wanted to get some of those fruits, but I can't reach them."

"May I assist you, sir?" Aminifu asked

"How?"

He reached out his trunk. I cautiously stepped forward. When he wrapped his trunk around me, it felt secure enough. Not until he started lifting me high off the ground did I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. My vision became blurry as my heart raced and my head pounded.

"Don't drop me, please." I begged

Aminifu chuckled, "I may be old, sire. But believe me, I still have strength enough in this trunk to carry a tree limb five times your size."

After I grabbed a large portion of mangos, my assistant safely set me down. I said my goodbyes and we were on our way once again. I hoped to see more of those two elephants. Aminifu seemed like he had a lot of wisdom, and Ma Tempo seemed like a caring individual.

"Timon, are we almost there yet?" I asked

We had been walking for a solid hour, and it felt like five. The blazing heat from the midmorning sun didn't help the situation. It's not like I wasn't used to walking in the sun, but at the rate we were going I hoped to be to the colony by now. However, I have yet to see anything that resembles a gathering of meerkats. That's why I was so surprised by Timon's response.

"As a matter of fact, we are." He said.

I looked around, but saw no sign of life anywhere.

"Where are they?"

"Look down." Timon said

As I did, I found a pair of eyes staring back at me. They belonged to a meerkat that looked an awful lot like Timon, but his hair was dark brown. He came up from a hole in the ground, and as I scanned the area around us, I realized there were dozens of holes just like this one. From all these entrances emerged just as many meerkats. They all looked almost exactly alike, with the exception of their hair color. Some had dark brown, others had red like Timon's, and there were even a few with blonde hair. Timon came walking up with a rather large meerkat with the same pelt and hair color as he had.

"Lee, I'd like you to meet, Ma, Ma, this is the one I was telling you about. He's the one that saved Nala, and is now her and Simba's son."

Ma stepped up, "It's very nice to meet you Lee. I've heard so much about you from my son. You sure are a large one."

I actually blushed as a small smile spread across my face.

"Thank you. It's very nice to meet you too. Your son is a lot of fun to be around; he's got a good heart as well. I bet he got that from you."

Her smile can light up a room "Well, aren't you the sweetest thing."

"Get away from that thing Ma!" a voice screeched

Milliseconds later, there stood a third meerkat right in front of me. Standing in front of Ma, his arms stretched out like he was shielding her. This guy had to be the oldest among his colony, with grey hair, an aged face with large eyebrows, and a pelt that looked a bit more dull than anyone else's, presumably from old age. He also looked like he had what looked like bags under his eyes, like he didn't get much sleep.

"Stay away from us you monster! Ma, Timon, run!"

"Whoa, Uncle Max, easy," Timon said "this is the guy I was telling you and Ma about. The one the king and queen adopted."

"Huh? " Max asked.

He looked up at me in disbelief. That look he had was one of paranoia, like he expected me to scoop him up and gobble him whole. I suppose if you spend a good portion of your life underground, surrounded by almost anything that can eat you, I would be that way too. When he finally got himself under control, the look of terror somewhat got less obvious.

He held out his hand, "Good to meet you."

I accepted it, my large hand seizing his entire arm.

"The same to you, sir."

"I see you're making new friends." Simba called as he made his way over.

"You could say that."

"Why hello Simba, it's so good to see you again." Ma said. "How is that mate of yours doing? And I heard you have a new baby girl?"

"Her name is Kiara, she just as beautiful as her mother. And Nala is doing just fine thank you."

He turned to me, "Lee, I hate to cut the visit short, but we need to get back for the evening hunt. We'll come back, I promise."

"Before you leave," Max said "Timon said you can handle yourself fairly well?"

"And?"

"Well, even though Simba did make the Pride Lands relatively safer, we still on occasion can get problems from those mangy hyenas. I was thinking you could…"

"Uncle Max!" Ma snapped, "You wouldn't dare ask Lee to put his life in danger!"

"Hold on ma'am." I intervened, "Trust me; those hyenas are no threat to me. If you and your colony ever need protection from them, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Why thank you Lee, and please, call me Ma."

"Okay… Ma"

After saying out goodbyes, we began our journey home. A million thought were racing through my mind like a race car. Images of the dream I had last night kept appearing as fresh as if they were standing right in front of me. Sarafina's lullaby somewhat soothed the fear. However, the worst thought kept coming back right after the nightmare. What was I doing here?

"Lee?" Simba asked

I noticed we were alone for the time being. He must have told Timon and Pumba to walk ahead of us. The silence between us was so thick; you could cut it with a knife. Strong winds blew through the tall grass and the trees. We waited a full minute before Simba spoke again.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

I sighed, "I'm not one of you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I snapped in a sarcastic manner, "I'm not a lion!"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise at my outburst. That look not leaving his face as he started walking closer to me. I felt myself break into a cold sweat. Despite being recently adopted by this gentle creature, I still get slightly terrified when he gets too close to me. The whiskers on his face touched mine we were so close before he finally spoke.

"And what's the matter with that?"

When I didn't answer, he continued. "Do you want to know the one thing Timon and Pumba thought me throughout our years together?"

"You mean Hakuna Matata?" I asked

"Besides that, they thought me that family isn't just the bloodline you're born into. It's made up of all the beings that care about you; the people that love you to no end. I learned that by being raised by two different species."

Then he did something I never expected, he nuzzled me. I had gotten used to it when it came from Nala, Sarabi, or Sarafina, but Simba didn't really strike me as someone who shows emotions to other males. That's why it caught me so off guard, though granted, it did make it all that more enjoyable. I slowly wrapped my arms around my new father, with tears in my eyes. They slowly slid down my face as I felt one of Simba's large legs wrap around me. I felt Simba's ear flick, and that's when I heard it. The crying.

"Do you hear that?" I asked

"Yes."

We both took off in the direction of the cry. It led us to a lone tree a few yards away on a hill. What we came across was something straight out of a horror movie. A full grown lioness was lying under the tree; nearly all the fur on her body was torn off. Her ribs were all showing, and chunks of her flesh were strewn about. Lying right next to her were three hyenas that looked just as beaten and torn. The crying coming from a nearby bush brought me back to my objective.

Upon coming closer, we recognized it as a small meowing. More importantly, there were two sources of the cries. Behind the brush laid two lion cubs. They both looked like they were around Kiara's age; one had a cream colored coat, while the other was dark orange. They stayed huddled together, trying to keep each other calm.

Simba looked back at the carnage, "Well, looks like we know what happened to their mother."

I didn't take my eyes off the cubs, "We're taking them back with us."

"It's not like we have much of a choice." Simba agreed

I took one in each arm and held them close to my chest. Similar to the way I hold Kiara. They fit in my arms as perfectly as she does.

 **A/N: Well, there you have it! For those of you who may watch the show 'The Lion Guard' you may recognize these two cubs. SPOILER ALERT! They are Tiifu and Zuri. I don't necessarily like them as much as I do other members of the show, but I felt like I had to put them in. One reason why I don't like them as much is because we never get any of their back-story in the show. Whenever I watch an episode with them in it, I find myself thinking 'Do these girls have parents?' I mean, I know the entire series is a huge plot hole from the canon of the second film, but they still could give us some answers. Maybe they're Kion and Kiara's cousins or something. That's why I put this scene here, to give us a clear description of where they came from. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to shoot me a comment and I will bring you another chapter as soon as I can!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello again everybody! Thanks for all your reviews and support so far. Each time I see a new review on my story, I instantly get so excited. For those of you who have asked me to add a love interest for Lee, I plan on doing just that, but not until a little later in the story But I want to take this time to talk about the background of my story a bit more. Really to focus on one thing, the adoption of Lee into the royal family. For those of you that have read many 'Humans in Lion King Universe' story's like I have, you may have seen this coming. One thing that I found common among all those stories is the adoptive parents were usually Mufasa and Sarabi, the OC would go through living during Scar's reign and help Simba take back the throne. While I love those stories and am a firm believer in the whole 'If it's not broke, don't fix it' kind of thing; I felt like if I made Mufasa and Sarabi Lee's adoptive parents, I would just be retelling the same fanfic story I've read about a dozen times. Also, I feel like my fanfic not only gives Simba and Nala larger rolls as Lee's caregivers, but it also gives Sarabi and Sarafina different and dare I say more unique rolls as Lee's adoptive grandmothers. Please discuss what you think about my decision in the reviews. By the way, a lot of dialoge from the second film will make it's way into this chapter as well as another 'Lion Guard' character so Disclaimer, I due not own this character. Now without further a due, here is chapter 13!**

"Oh, those poor things." Sarabi cried

Simba and I had just explained the events that led to us finding the cubs. They took everything in silence, their faces getting darker when I mentioned the dead mother and three dead hyenas. The two cubs were currently lying down with Nala, right next to Kiara. All three of them seem to get along just fine.

I turned to Simba, "They got no one else, and we got to take care of them."

"Kiara seems to like them." Nala said as she gazed down at the three sleeping cubs sleeping soundly beside each other.

"Zazu!" Simba called

Zazu flew down and landed on Simba's shoulder

"Yes, Sire?"

"Please fly to Rafiki's tree and tell him we have two cubs we need him to look over."

"At once." He said as he flew away.

"What are we going to call them?" I asked

"Good question." Nala said

Looking them both over, I spotted a characteristic for both of them almost instantly. The darker orange cub laid almost on top of Nala, like she didn't want to lay on the floor that was covered in dirt. She also had a certain complexion on her fur, almost like she glowed with beauty. That was not to say Kiara and the other cub weren't beautiful in their own way, but I think this girl could be a model in the lion world if they actually had those. As for the paler cub, she seemed to cling to Nala in a loving manner. In a way that could rival Kiara; I thinks she loves to love things.

"What's the Swahili word for beauty?" I asked

"Zuri." Sarabi explained.

"I think that's what we can call the dark orange cub."

"Wonderful idea Lee." Simba exclaimed

"Thanks."

"What about the other cub?" Sarafina asked

Nala spoke up "What about Tiifu?"

"I like it." I agreed

"Dido." Simba said

Sarafina and Sarabi nodded in agreement.

I looked back at the two cubs resting beside my sister

"Welcome to the family, girls."

(Four months later)

The sun was just barely starting to rise over the savannah. When it finally got halfway up the sky, it created an explosion of colors that looked like it came right out of a painting. As I sat on the edge of Pride Rock, I felt a slight morning breeze whip me in the face in a refreshing way that made me sight with joy. Almost like an alarm clock for the whole savanna, all the creatures started rising and beginning their daily lives. Birds flew by in a 'V' like formation over Pride Rock, gazelles and zebra were starting to graze and bound through the landscape.

"It never gets old, does it?" asked Simba who was sitting at my left side.

I smiled, "Who've been here longer then I have, you tell me."

"Well, it's been my experience that it never does." Simba said

"Wow!" exclaimed a young voice behind us.

We turned in time to see Kiara attempting to make her way down the steps of Pride Rock. Only for Simba to grab her by the scruff of her neck.

"Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" Simba asked her in an amused tone as he easily pinned her with his paw.

Kiara giggled, "Daddy, let go!"

"Now I just want you to be careful." He explained as he released her.

Kiara immediately started playfully swatting at a butterfly. I has to chuckle at how cute she looked. Nearly doubling in size since she was born, she probably resembled the size of a house cat. Both Tiifu and Zuri also grew to about the same size. Most days they usually spend together under the watchful eyes of Simba, Nala, or me. However, today was the day Kiara had been waiting for since she could walk. Since both Tiifu and Zuri were going to be practicing their hunting skills with Sarabi and Sarafina and there are few other playmates for her; Kiara is being allowed to travel beyond the boundaries of Pride Rock. This is something Simba all too hesitantly agreed to.

"Kiara, are you listening? Accidents can happen. You could easily get.."

"Get hurt, get stepped on, or even get lost." She finished for him

I chuckled again.

Simba shot me a side glance before continuing, "And remember, stay in the side of Pride Rock.."

"At all times," Kiara continued, "And if I see any strangers, don't talk to them, come straight home. Okay, I get it, can I go now, please."

"Very funny." Simba said as Nala made her way over to us.

"Mind your father Kiara." She scolded lightly

"Yes mom." Kiara said in a slightly amused manner.

"And stay away from the outlands." Simba said

Zazu flew up, "Nothing their but a bunch of backstabbing, murderous outsiders."

"Zazu's right, you can't turn your back on them." Simba explained.

Kiara looked puzzled, "Really, how come?"

Simba sighed, "Never mind, just run along now."

Kiara sighed as started walking passed them. Simba ran his paw across her in a petting type fashion. When she got to me, she pounced and landed in my lap. I tickled her stomach, which she reacted to with a high pitched squeal.

"Lee." Simba called

"What's up Simba?"

"Why don't you go with Kiara? I'd feel better if you were there with her."

"Oh, yeah Lee, come with me, please?" Kiara begged.

"Alright, just let me grab my gear."

Making my way into Pride Rock, I went to our usual sleeping place and pondered what to bring. Finally deciding to bring my python and buck knife and my canteen just in case. I was just about to make my way out when I was faced with Simba who was literally so close I could feel his whiskers on my face. Holding back a gasp, I jumped backward and placed my hand on my chest.

"What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" I almost shouted.

"I need you to keep an eye on Kiara. She's bound to get into trouble if you don't go with her." He explained.

"You can count on me, I won't let you down."

Simba smiled, "You never do."

After saying my goodbyes to Nala and Simba, Kiara and I made our way down Pride Rock and out to the endless terrain ahead. We passed several hears of animals, they bowed in respect to us as we passed by. Kiara bowed the same, I nodded in respect. A herd of zebra stood grazing in the lush grass that decorated the ground. One that stood out more than any was a male with a very peculiar accent.

"Well, hello Prince Lee and Princess Kiara. I must say it is a splendid day to take a stroll around the Pride Lands." He said in a thick British accent.

"Isn't it." I agreed "It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Mr..?"

The zebra bowed, "Thurston, your majesty."

"Thurston, and please call me Lee."

"I heard you took on an army of hyena's singlehandedly. Is that true?" Thurston asked.

Kiara interrupted, "You better believe it. It's my favorite story mom always tells me, Tiifu and Zuri before bed. He could take on any hyena that comes into the Pride Lands." Her face beamed with pride as she looked up at me.

She continued "I bet if a hyena came into the Pride Lands right now, he could just stare at it and it would run away!"

Thurston's eyes immediately widened, "There's a hyena in the Pride Lands?"

"What? No she was just.. " I tried

Thurston screamed, "Panic and Run, Panic and Run!"

Chaos broke out. The entire herd reared up and ran in opposite directions. Unfortunately, a large portion of the herd came running straight at us. Grabbing Kiara by the scruff of her neck, I bolted towards a large tree a few feet away. At the rate the Zebras were running, they would likely trample us before we even got close. Just as they started closing in, I felt something strong wrap around my waist and raise me above the ground. Looking around to see what got a hold of me, I was instantly met with a large pair of eyes that I was overjoyed to see.

"Ma Tembo!" I exclaimed

"Greetings Prince Lee, Princess Kiara." She greeted

"Hi Ma Tembo." Kiara greeted politely

A thunderous boom echoed out that brought the herd to a screeching halt. I looked to my left to see non other then Aminifu glaring at the zebra with fury in his eyes.

"Bloody Zebras, get a hold of yourselves! You could have easily murdered the children of the king and queen. Then you would have been at their mercy. Think about that the next time you decide to run without thinking!"

Ma Tembo put us down after Aminifu finished scolding the herd. We stayed and chatted with them for a good while. Ever since the day Aminifu helped me get the fruit from the tree, we had become good friends. Often spotting each other and striking a conversation that could last forever. We asked how were things going with their herd, they asked how we were doing being the prince and princess of the Pride Lands. While I still felt kind of strange being referred to by my title, I showed no offence. Kiara on the other hand gave a frown and rolled her eyes whenever the word 'princess' was used to address her. Giving her a stern look when she did so in front of Ma Tembo, I told them we were doing just fine. After about half an hour of talk, we finally decided to excuse ourselves and push on.

A butterfly became Kiara's main source of entertainment as we continued our aimless stroll across the Pride Lands. She would pounce and swat at it, giggling when she missed and hit the ground. I could hear that laugh all day long and never get tired of it. It's as if you hear it, and suddenly ever sorrow you ever had vanished as soon as it came. My sister got so tired of missing it, she called out to it.

"Hey, come back, I just want to play!"

"I doubt it wants to play with a cat that's ten times its size." I told her.

She pounced on a rock that it landed on. It easily dodged her attack and flew away. A sight of what was over the rock caught her attention. Leaning beside her to get a good look at what she was seeing, I saw something off in the distance that was the exact opposite of our home. It was a bargain wasteland with no green, no water, and barely any trees. Whatever trees were there were very dry and in poor shape.

"Whoa, cool The Outlands."Kiara exclaimed "I wonder what's out there?"

The sound of rustling leaves brought us to attention. I reached for my pistol and told Kiara to stay back. Inching forward, whatever was rustling in the leaves was just behind the bush in front of me. A shrieking meercat and warthog appeared and caused me to jump back. Kiara screamed as she stumbled over the rock. I found myself lose my footing and joined my sister in the water. Pumba shouted something and landed inches from my face. Timon was rambling to himself when I came up for air.

"Oh ah let's see. 'Gee Simba, good news is we found you're kids, bad news is we dropped a warthog on one of them, is there a problem with that?"

"Kiara? Kiara?" Pumba called.

"Pumba!" Timon called, "Let me define BABYSITTING!"

I Shouted, "Get off her Pumba!"

"Oh." Pumba said.

Kiara sprang from the water, and then starred daggers at Pumba.

Pumba smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

We made our way out of the water, all the while getting a lecture from Pumba about not wondering off alone. Why did Simba even tell them to come out here? Did he even trust me enough to look after my own sister if he had Timon and Pumba tailing us? Anger pegged at my insides as I thought about facing him when we got home. Timon looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

"Hurt? Oh Simba would kill us! Are you guys okay? Did you catch a fever, get a hangnail?"

"Uh, I'm okay." I said.

"Timon!" Kiara whined

"I had one once, Excruciating."

After attempting to feed us bugs, they got into a heated argument about which bugs tasted better. Pumba thought it was the slimy ones, while Timon argued it was the crunchy ones. At first it was almost amusing to see them squabble over something so stupid. Kiara wasn't having any of it, rolling her eyes in annoyance. I shrugged as she looked up at me. There shouting got so loud I took my eyes off her to see what they were doing. When I looked back, she was gone.

Knowing exactly where she would go, I ran in the direction of the Outlands.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey everyone, this chapter is one I think many of you have been waiting for, so I'm just going to say read and enjoy!**

Kiara was chasing another butterfly when I found her.

"You thought you could leave me with the babysitters?" I called to her.

Her ears dropped when she was me, "Sorry Lee. "

"Just don't leave my side, or Simba will never let us leave Pride Rock again."

"He probably would let you, just not me." She countered.

"How do you know that?"

She raised her eyebrows, "Have you met our dad?"

I laughed," Yeah, he can be a bit overbearing."

"I don't get what his problem is, even with you here; daddy still sent Timon and Pumba after us."

"Beats me too."

She started to walk off in the distance, only to fall off a barely visible incline. Yelling out her name, I ran to see her in a stretch of sand next to a watering hole, and she wasn't alone. Down there with her, was a male cub with a dark brown coat and the start of a jet black mane on the top of his head. His attitude didn't strike me as friendly as he growling at her. She was cowering and making sure to stay in front of him. Apparently she took Simba's words about not turning your back on them to heart.

"Who are you Pride lander?" the cub hissed in a nasty voice.

Not wasting any time, I jumped down and landed a few feet in front of them. Immediately, I rushed to get between them, telling the cub to take it easy. At first he looked surprised, like he had never seen a human before. And seeing as how I was well known all throughout the Pride Lands, and the fact that he refer to Kiara as a 'Pride lander'; I can only assume this cub is from the Out Lands. When he got over the shock, he looked almost intimidated. He lost that look in his eye like he wanted to hurt Kiara, his ears sort of dropped and he quit baring his teeth. Seeing him look so afraid made me feel a strong amount of pity for the poor kid. I kneeled down and reached my hand out.

"It's okay little guy, I'm not going to hurt you."

Kiara whispered, "Careful Lee, don't forget about what dad said about not turning your back on an outsider."

"If he bites me, I can just bite him back."

The cub got more relaxed as his posture got cocky again. He wore a smirk like he was about to say something smart alike. Sure enough, he looked at Kiara and said just that.

"You always do what daddy says?"

"No!" She yelled"

"Bet you do," the cub said, "bet your daddy's little girl."

He laughed and started walking off, towards the lake.

"An outsider doesn't need anybody. I take care of myself!" he said as he took a seat on a log on the lake.

"Really? Kiara asked as she followed him over.

I was watching from a distance. Even since my run in with Makuu Nala has always told me to be extremely careful around the watering holes, especially if I had any of the cubs with me. She claims that Makuu is one of the crocks of the Pride Lands that doesn't respect the circle of life, and would easily get a chunk out of me if given the chance. Preferably when their wasn't a two ton hippo acting as my personal security guard. It's true I wouldn't always have Basi or Pua to back me up, and I totally believe if he had the chance Makuu would eat me. Truth be told, I almost hoped he'd try something so I could prove I'm not worthless like he thinks I am. Also, there can't be any croc here, since all of them are swimming in Big Springs with the hippos today.

That hope lasted for all of two seconds when I saw a large pair of jaws rise up out of the water.

I screamed, "Kiara, get out of the water!"

She turned just in time to see the jaws rise right above her. Screaming, she bolted to the side and ran with the other cub to what looked like a stretch of land sticking up in the middle of the lake. They started laughing, thinking they got away. Only for all three of us to realize those were even more crocs they were standing on! Making their way to a log using the crocs as stepping stones, they seemed to be in a safe spotted for the time being. The other cub started to run off the branches and back onto the crocs heads.

Kiara called out to him, "Hey, what about me?"

"I'll distract them, run!" he yelled.

Several of the crocs took a snap at him, just barely missing. Running on the side of the river, I got ready in case I needed to make a split second decision. He eventually fell into the water, only to find a massive pair of jaws heading straight towards him. Thinking I was out of my mind, I ran up a rock that was just above where they were, and jumped. I landed right on top of the croc's mouth and wrapped my arms around him, telling the cub to get moving. Another pair of paws ran across my back, knowing it was Kiara. Relief washed over me as I knew she was okay now.

Kiara screamed my name as I felt my head being dragged underwater. The croc was so strong, it actually managed to make me lose my grip and release his mouth. Shear agony ran up my left arm as his jaw bit down. Miraculously, I managed to find my knife and plunge it into the crocs right eye with everything I had. The second it let go, I kicked to the surface. Immediately spotting where the cubs where once I came up for air, I swam for all I was worth. When I finally reached them, I heaved myself up and collapsed with an enormous 'huff'. My sister was in tears as she nuzzled my face. She tried to make out words, but all that came out were agonizing sobs. I petted her head and kissed her, trying my best to stay calm while in reality fighting an agony that knock cauterizing out of the water! Kiara's crying got so loud, I was seriously wondering if Simba and Nala could hear it all the way up in Pride Rock. I had to yell to be heard over it.

"Kiara, it's okay. We're all safe, you don't need to worry."

"Bu- But Lee, yo- you- your ARM!" She shrieked

I looked down, and only then did I realize why she was almost losing it. An enormous chunk of my flesh was gone from my arm. You would literally see the bone where the skin once was. On top of that, it was bleeding like a stuck pig. Nala would most likely take a good portion of my other arm when she saw this. Any hopes of hunting or even being let out of Pride Rock were now a distant memory, for both me and Kiara. The worst pain wasn't the physical; however, it was I did the one thing I said I wouldn't do. I let Simba down. Maybe he was in the right for sending Timon and Pumba to watch us if I failed to protect her. I couldn't bear the thought of losing another sister again, and this time there would be no question that it was because of me. She nearly became croc food today all because I wasn't quick enough. Why was I so stupid!

My self loathing was put on hold when I felt Kiara's tough run across my arm. Fresh tears sprang from her eyes as she licked the blood off my numerous open wounds. Having none of it, I gently nudged her head away.

"Kiara, don't do that, you're going to get sick."

So she continued to nuzzle me until her crying reduced to sniveling. All the while the cub watched in confusion. Wondering why a lion cub would show this much affection to a creature that looked like it was from another planet. He cautiously walked over to us and sat down next to Kiara.

"Thanks for saving me." He said.

"No problem, just watch were you step the next time you're near a river."

He actually started laughing. At first, Kiara looked like she wanted to tear him to pieces. She must of thought it was selfish for him to get so much enjoyment when he got off scot free and I nearly lost a limb. But it was at the interruption of my laughter that her mood changed. Before we knew it, we were all laughing so hard we almost couldn't breathe. When we finally had enough, Kiara turned to address the young male.

"You were really brave." She said

He smiled, "Yeah? You guys were pretty brave too. My names Kovu."

"Nice to meet you, call me Lee."

Kiara stepped up to him, "I'm Kiara."

There was something in the tone of her voice that suggested she was trying to do more than just introduce herself to him. It could have been the way she flattened her ears, not in a threatening way, more like a calming, gentle way. Perhaps it was that slight twinkle in her eye when she looked at him. Or maybe it was Kovu's totally freaked out posture that it finally dawned on me. Was Kiara trying to flirt with this guy? Tiifu and Zuri would have a field day with her if they ever found out. I could already see them trying to give her a makeover so she could go on a date with him. And Simba, he would probably eat this kid before letting him go anywhere near her.

That moment finally passed as Kiara playfully tagged his paw twice, each time saying 'your it'. Only for him to scowl and look like she just did something completely creepy. She eventually got the idea that he wasn't playing along.

"Hello, I run, you tag, get it?" She tried.

He only starred at her blankly

"What's the matter, don't you know how to play? Oh."

Crouching into a pouncing stance, she bobbed and circled him in a playful manner I have seen her do many times with the girls back home. Kovu immediately recognized this game and crouched down low with a growl of his own. What followed was a booming roar that could only belong to one creature. And by God I wished it wasn't him.

Sure enough, I turned to see Simba standing over Kiara, staring daggers at Kovu. I was about to intervene when a second roar came from behind me. This one belonged to a lioness that stood right behind Kovu. Alarm bells immediately rang in my head when I saw her, why? Because she looked like something straight out of a zebra's nightmare. A long body, menacing looking claws that always seemed unsheathed, and a small piece of her right ear was missing, forming almost a crescent moon type shape. The thing that really topped it off though, was her eyes. This lady had a pair of eyes that would make any serial killer in the world piss themselves. Yellow eyes with red in the middle and not anything like Simba's or Sarabi's. There was just something in the way she used them that made you thing she would kill you at any second. Thankfully, she was too busying staring down the five hundred pound Goliath to pay any attention to me.

"Zira" Simba hissed

"Simba" the lioness said.

A smile crept across her face as she prepared to pounce. This chick must have been either really brave or extremely stupid to want to tussle with a cat that's twice her size. Maybe even more so due to the fact that she looked so malnourished. Parts of her ribs were showing and her stomach looked completely empty. Were the outlands really that low on food?

Several other roars erupted just before Zira could pounce. Nala, Sarabi, and Sarafina stood beside Simba. Each wearing a look like they wanted to tear Zira to shreds. Even Timon and Pumba where there, and looked just as sickened by the sight of this lady.

"Nala" Zira spat.

"Zira." Nala said with disgust I never heard her use before.

"Timon, Pumba, Sarabi, Sarafina, Lee. Great, now that we all know each other, GET OUT OF OUT PRIDE LANDS!"

"Your Pride Lands?" Zira said.

She roared at him, Timon immediately coward behind Pumba's hair, Zira than stared daggers at Simba.

"These lands belong to Scar!"

"I banished you from the Pride Lands! Now you and your young cub, get out!"

Zira almost looked amused as she spoke again

"Oh, haven't you met my son, Kovu. He was hand chosen by scar to fallow in his paw prints and become king."

She said the last word with just a bit of edge to it, like it was a threat. Simba let out a growl as he bared his teeth at the cub a third his size. Kovu shook as his knees buckled. The fear he felt towards me has probably quadrupled when faced with Simba. Timon scoffed with amusement as he addressed Kovu.

"That's no king, that's a fuzzy maraca!" he yelled.

"Kovu," Zira continued, "was last born before you exiled us to the outlands. Where we have little food, less water."

Her posture shrank as she said the last two lines. As if she wanted to get pity out of all of them. She should try going to New York and act on Broadway. Simba doesn't bat an eye however.

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands!"

"But the child does not! however, if you need your pound of flesh, here."

She pushed Kovu forward. Was she seriously willing to sacrifice her own cub if it meant she could go home? This chick makes the hyenas look halfway decent! I kept my eyes on Simba. Hoping he wouldn't do what this crazy lioness wanted him to. Preparing for the worst case scenario, I reached to my side and pulled my python out of its holster. Obviously I wouldn't shoot Simba, but I wasn't going to let him kill a cub just because he a successor of some sociopath.

Thankfully, the worst never happened as Simba turned away from him.

"Take him and get out. We're finished here."

Simba made his way over to Kiara. She sunk down when he towered over her and picked her up in his jaws. Zira didn't take the hint, sadly and made her way over to Simba.

"Oh no Simba, we have barely begun." Finishing it off with a cackle that would make the wicked witch of the west shudder.

All the while she was gazing down at Kiara. Her laughter was short lived when she felt something press against the side of her head, that something being my python. She turned to face me, her expression still maintaining that neutral look. As if she had no emotion at all. Never the less, I still had something to say to her.

"Do you know what this is?" when she didn't answer, I continued, "This is what I could use to bring down a Zebra with one shot. With the aiming I have, this thing could drop you from ten yards away. I could definitely put you in the ground right here and now, but I'm feeling generous. So do as Simba says and hit the road."

She actually smiled before answering me.

"So it's true. You really have adopted a human into your Pride? Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised, every family needs a pet."

"Pet?" I asked

Nala stepped up, "Lee is our son Zira. A rightful prince of the Pride Lands and he just told you too leave."

She scoffed, "How could you be so naive Nala? What did you think? This creature is a second chance for you? Well, he may be impressive. But from what we know about humans, even they have limitations. Limitations that, if reached, could prove disastrous."

Nala was about to respond when Sarabi charged at Zira and got in her face with a menacing growl. Sizing them up, Sarabi is without a doubt the larger of the two, even with her old age. And you could instantly tell Zira was at the very least taken aback by this swift action.

"We grew up together Zira." She began, "There was a time when I gladly would have called you my sister. A large part of me wishes you didn't cross over to Scar's side, and some of that is unquestioningly my doing. But let me make one thing clear. If you ever so much as hint to threatening either of my grandchildren again, lion, human or otherwise. You won't be making the journey home"

I honestly never thought I would ever be legitimately scared of Sarabi, but I was dead wrong. The way she said that whole speech, especially the last sentence, sent a chill down my back and goose bumps up my arms. Even though she wasn't directly speaking to me. It also filled me with this sense of security and gratitude to see Sarabi speak up for me in that way. I'm sure anyone else would have done the same thing.

Zira finally took the hint and made her way over to Kovu. He immediately cowered as her shadow cast over him. That was a look I knew all too well, because I had warn that look whenever I faced my father's wrath. Who knows what was awaiting Kovu when he finally returned home. Zira picked Kovu up by his stomach as opposed to his scruff, and you could tell it hurt by the loud grunt he let out as her jaws nabbed him, poor kid.

"Lee, what in the name of the Great Kings happened to your arm?" Nala demanded.

"It's a long story." I tried

"Well, you are going to tell me everything as soon as Rafiki patches you up! Honestly Lee, that could get infected! Was it Makuu? Did he do this to you?"

"No, it wasn't him. I didn't recognize the croc that chomped down on me."

Now you might think I'm crazy for defending a guy who nearly killed me when we first met. And while on one hand I would love to see Nala tear Makuu a new one, it still wouldn't be right for him to get the blame for something he didn't do. With all that said and done, I, along with my family made my way back to Pride Rock with that crazy lionesses devilish laugh still ringing in my ears.

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed chapter 14! Please leave a review and I'll see you next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey everybody, I won't say a lot about this chapter because I want you to just read and enjoy. I just want you to know, I will be introducing a new character, without REALLY brining him/her into the story. It sounds confusing, I know, but once you read it, you'll understand. Without further a dew, enjoy Chapter 15!**

The walk home was almost completely in silence; aside from a few snivels from Kiara. Looking over in her direction I noticed she had a tear sliding down her face. A second of pity swept over Simba's face as he heard his little girl crying. That was quickly replaced with a stern look as we all came closer to Pride Rock. I wanted so badly to comfort Kiara, but the look on Simba's face told me not to even bother trying. Nala turned back when Simba stopped walking.

"Simba?" She asked.

He cleared his throat. She smiled as she nudged my hand. Looking down, I saw she was motioning me to fallow her back to Pride Rock. I turned back to Simba.

"Simba, can you come here for a second?"

After setting Kiara down on a rock, he did make his way over to me. The entire time, I was battling with how I was going say what I had to. On one hand, I was still partially angry that he had went behind my back and sent Timon and Pumba to spy on us. Then again, I also felt the need to lessen the blow on Kiara's inevitable punishment. She had been through so much already, and if Simba blew up on her, it would destroy her. Because like my human sister before her; Kiara was a glorified daddy's girl. Helping her meant more than yelling at Simba right now. When he got close enough, I kneeled to look him in the eye.

"She's already had a bit of a day. So go easy on her, okay? Please?"

He almost immediately smiled at me. Was he that surprised that I would vogue for her? Then he nuzzled me, similar to the way he did the day we found the girls. He had done this on other occasions, but there seemed to be more meaning to this particular nuzzle. Just how long and how much force he put into it made it seem like there was a reason he did it this way. I got my answer in the form of one hell of a fatherly line.

"You're a good big brother Lee."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"However," He continued, "I will punish Kiara however I deem fit."

My smile dipped into a frown. I couldn't let myself get mad at Simba right now, because if I did, he might take it out on Kiara. So I just kept quite as Simba told me to fallow Nala into Pride Rock. When I finally did reach her, Simba called back to me.

"Don't worry Lee, she'll still be in one piece when it's all said and done."

Nala and I entered Pride Rock to see Tiifu and Zuri chasing Zazu. Much like how Kiara was chasing countless butterflies today, except this target had words of protest. Neither of the girls seemed to notice as they took turns swatting their paws at him. Zazu immediately noticed us as we walked in. He was in the middle of welcoming us home when he stopped mid sentence.

"Why, welcome home your maje- my word prince Lee, what happened to your arm?"

I looked down, "Croc attack, they tried to eat a cub, I jumped in."

Nala spoke up, "Zazu, please hurry and fetch Rafiki, tell him Lee needs immediate care."

"At once, my queen."

Tiifu and Zuri immediately ran over to me and asked if I was okay. They both looked like they were about to cry, over me. I assured them I was okay, but that didn't stop them from nuzzling me while they were close to tears. Nala eventually asked them to go outside with Sarabi and Sarafina to give us some alone time.

All the guilt I felt about what happened with Kiara came back with a vengeance as soon as we were alone. The look she had in her eyes made me want to crawl under a rock and hide. It wasn't even a look that was full of anger; it was something worse than that, disappointment. I looked down in shame to avoid eye contact. Only for her to force me to look by lifting my chin with her paw.

"You know why Simba and I are mad, don't you?" She asked without even raising her voice.

I nodded. "I didn't keep a good eye on Kiara?"

"And?"

"What else is there?"

"You put yourself in danger today too Lee"

I sighed, "What was I supposed to do, let Kovu die?"

"No, but jumping on top of a croc's head was not the smartest way to handle that situation. You should have shot at it."

Why didn't I think of that? That sounds so simple, but she was right. The sound alone might have scared the crocs away, and I wouldn't have come out of this with a life threatening injury. I am so stupid! The anger I felt towards Simba now came back tem fold this time, and I wasn't mad at him anymore. My face got hot as my eyes started to water. I wanted to scream at something, anything to make this go away. Nala's words brought me back to attention.

"Lee, your father and I just want you to be safe, so please just try to be more careful next time, okay?"

I froze at her words. My father? My father was dead, so were my sister and mother. Clenching my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, I started huffing my breath out. Almost like a rampaging bull about to charge. My gaze turned hostile as I stared down my lioness mother, and I rose to my feet. Nala's ears slightly fell, like she didn't know what to make of my behavior. What I said next was something I don't think either of us expected, especially me.

I roared," HE'S NOT MY FATHER!"

The words still echoed off the walls of the cave. Almost instantly after I said them, I felt horrible. If the words themselves didn't leave that much of an impact on their own Nala's reaction would do the job ten times over. Her ears fell flat against her head, and she winced as though I hit her. With a quivering bottom lip and barely audible voice, the question she asked me all but shattered what was left of my heart.

"Then..." she squeaked, "am I… not your mother?"

Before I could even come up with an apology, she instantly got angry. It was something I am glad I have never seen before now. Her fangs were bared, her breath was heaving out, similar to how mine was a minute ago. The growl she let out made me feel like a prime piece of game ready for her to take down. Probably the most noticeable and terrifying difference was her voice. One that usual spoke with great compassion and understanding was now filled with venom and rage, all directed towards me.

"Well I will tell you one thing Kopa, I am your mother and you will do what I say!"

I shaking started backing up when she got closer. This was just the way I felt when I witnessed Sarabi stare down Zira not that long ago. It was something I never thought I would see this creature do, and when it does happen, you're ten times as shocked. Preparing myself for a good smack across the mouth, I already knew I had it coming. Then something caught my attention.

I quietly spoke up, "Who's Kopa?"

The rage she had instantly faded upon me asking that question.

"Wha- what?" she asked with a quiver

"Kopa, you called me Kopa, who's that?"

Suddenly, and without warning, Nala was running out of the cave in tears. I stood in the empty room, completely alone. Falling to my knees, I let out a chorus of sobs as I beat my hand against the ground. What the hell did I just do? Nala didn't deserve what I said to her. All she's ever done was shower me with unconditional love from the moment I met her. And what did I do? The same thing I always do, hurt people with my anger.

I bet everything I have Nala was telling Simba to exile me right now. She would have every right to; I was completely in the wrong for what I did. Aside from that one outburst a minute ago, even when she was scolding me for doing something wrong, Nala never acted angry about it unless it was deathly serious. I wouldn't even argue when Simba comes in and order's me out. Deciding to not waste any time, I made my way over to my supplies and started preparing for my final journey across the Pride Lands all the while still crying my eyes out.

Eventually, I started hearing several sets of paws pounding on the stone floor. No doubt it was Simba and Nala telling me to leave and never come back. My only hope is they didn't bring Kiara in to witness me go. I wouldn't be able to make it out of Pride Rock if her cries were the last I ever heard of her. Standing with my back turned to them, I wiped my tears away one more time before turning around; biting back a sob when I faced the two figures staring back at me.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **A/N: Ahh, the dreaded cliffhanger. I apologies for making this one relatively shorter then my previous chapter I just wanted to give you guys something to read over this fine day. I just want to say, I hadn't planned to give this dialog to Nala when I started this story. At first, I wanted to have Lee mistake Kiara for Jenny, to suggest that he was still slightly stuck in the past. But once I thought more about Kopa, I felt like I should at least mention him in this story because it answers a lot of questions. It explains why Simba is so overprotective, even in the original movie. I know a lot of first time parents would probably be a little over protective, but Simba always went into overbearing territory. There never really seemed to be a concrete reason behind it. Another question it answers is for another chapter. That's why I brought Simba and Nala's long lost son Kopa into the mix. What do you think will happen with Lee now? Will he ever get to make things right with Nala? Well my suggestion is wait and see. I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 15, see you later ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

Both my grandmother's stood at the entrance of the cave; the look of shock and worry on their faces at the sight of me. What made it worse is that Tiifu and Zuri were with them, and they looked just as scared and shocked by my appearance. I had to turn away when I saw them, not wanting any of them to see me in this state.

As soon as my back was turned, I heard paws patting against the ground, followed by the feeling of little paws rubbing against my pant leg. Looking down, I was met by the eyes of two concerned little cubs. The look they both gave me broke my heart all over again.

"Lee, what's the matter?" Zuri asked

"Please don't cry." Tiifu pleaded, looking close to tears herself.

I dropped my bag and scooped them up before sitting down in a crying heap. They buried their faces in my shirt as they cried along with me, probably from not understanding why I was so distraught. It was at that time Sarabi and Sarafina came over to join us. They both took positions beside me, nuzzling me as they always did, saying very little, accept from the occasional 'shush' sounds to try and calm me down.

When my crying finally stopped and we were all laying together, my sorrow shifted into fear. I could take Simba or even Nala being mad me. The one thing I could not live with is my grandmothers not loving me anymore. As I said once before, I never knew a relationship like the ones I had with these two, they were the only grandmother's I ever knew. If they stopped looking at me as they always did, it would end me. Now, with this predicament, I know if I confess what I did, it would happen. Laying there with them, I only prayed they wouldn't ask what was wrong with me.

"Lee darling, what's the matter?" Sarabi asked

'God damn it', I thought.

I rapidly shook my head as fresh tears ran down my face. Burying my face in Sarabi's shoulder as Sarafina licked my neck.

"I... I can't tell you."

"Why not sweetie?" Sarafina asked.

I looked at her through tear stained eyes, "If I tell you, you'll hate me."

Her expression immediately fell as if I just said the most unbelievable thing ever. Then she proceeded to lick my face, feeling my tears get wiped away somewhat calmed me down. Once I was finally left with no more tears in my system, a hiccup was now the only sign of my grief. They were there for that too.

"Come now, Lee, deep breaths." Sarabi said.

I copied her breathing as I felt my hiccups vanish. Now it was so quite, you could hear a pin drop in the cave. Tiifu and Zuri walked up my chest and were now looking at me with small smiles on their muzzles.

"Feel better now?" Tiifu asked.

I nodded, "A little."

Sarafina cut in,"Lee, let me tell you one thing. There is absolutely nothing you could ever do that would make any of us hate you. Do you understand me? We love too much to cast you aside over one mistake. Whatever you did, we can work it out together. Now please tell me, what made you cry like that?"

I took a shaky final breath before beginning, "When Nala was talking to me about what happened today, the entire time I was so angry. At a number of things really, for one Simba made me think that he really trusted me with Kiara. But then he goes around and makes Timon and Pumba spy on us when we were walking through the Pride Lands. After that, there was the croc attack, I got even more mad, but at myself when that happened."

"Why Lee?" Sarabi asked.

"Because I felt like I let my guard down, and Kiara got in danger because of it. Maybe Simba was right to distrust me with her safety. All those emotions were boiling inside me, and I took it out on Nala. She wasn't even mad at me. At least at that moment she wasn't. I said something I can never take back."

Sarabi had to be the one to ask, "What did you say to her?"

I hesitated

She tried again, "Just say it. It's okay."

"I... I told her Simba wasn't my father. And she asked if she wasn't my mother. Before I could even tell her I was sorry, she got angry. And I mean really angry. I had never seen her act like that before."

Sarabi sighed heavily, 'this is it' I thought.

All she did was nuzzle me like she had been doing for the past twenty minutes. Wrapping my arm around her neck, I pulled her closer and kissed her head. At that moment, I knew Sarafina was right; they wouldn't hate me for anything. My heart soared as we finally released each other, but I still wasn't well enough to give them a smile. Something I knew they longed to see whenever I was sad.

Sarabi was the first to respond, "You're right Lee. Simba isn't your father. I don't think he was ever trying to replace your real father. It's just that he has tried to love you all he can. You were under a lot of stress when Nala talked to you, so you said something you didn't mean to say. We all make emotional mistakes at least once in our lives, myself included. Simba has always been a little cautious about his children safety. He fully trusts you with any of us, sending Timon and Pumba after you was just a little paranoia."

"And I know my daughter; she's never been one to hold a grudge. Well, mostly never. She's just upset, give her some time alone." Sarafina assured.

A thought came to me, "When Nala got angry after I yelled at her, and she called me by a different name. Does the name Kopa mean anything to you?"

They both shared a look before Sarabi said they had to tell me. Telling the girls to go play outside, they were just about to leave before nuzzling me one last time. I wrapped my arms around them both and showered their heads with kisses, telling them that I loved them both, which they said to me as well. Once it was just the three of us in the cave, Sarabi was the first to speak.

"Kopa was Simba and Nala's first cub." She said.

My eyes popped out of my head, "What?"

"It's true. He died before you came to be with us."

"How did he die?"

"Zira." They said in union.

Sarabi explained, "She remained with the pride even after Scar's defeat. She was trying to gain numbers to overthrow Simba. But she slipped up, and killed Kopa. It crushed both Simba and Nala. However, Simba felt that it was his fault, that he should have kept a better eye on him. After that, Simba exiled Zira and her followers to the outlands, declaring the punishment for returning would be death."

"I knew there was something off about her, but I didn't think she was that crazy. So that's why Simba's so over protective, he doesn't want to lose another child. It all makes sense now! No wonder you all looked at Zira like you wanted to rip her to pieces."

"We surprisingly haven't seen her since then, until today." Sarabi said.

"Not that I'm not happy about that, but why haven't we?"

"She doesn't know she has the numbers. Sadly, a large portion of our pride took Zira's side. We used to have more lionesses on our side too, those who stayed with us starved from the lingering famine that took place during Scar's rule, others... just disappeared." Sarafina explained.

The sound of an all too familiar laugh caused us to look at the mouth of the cave. Sure enough, Rafiki was standing there with a bunch of leaves in his hand and some type of fruit.

"The kings Majordomo informed Rafiki the prince had an unfortunate incident with a crocodile today." He exclaimed.

"Well, you heard right." I said.

"Let Rafiki see what he can do."

Rafiki examined my arm very diligently, making sure to check every scar that occupied my arm. I got a little antsy when he started digging into a spot were the gash was much deeper. Just as I was about to ask him what the hell he was doing, he pulled out a pearly white tooth from under my skin. It was about the size of my index finger and looked just as sharp as my knife. He held it in front of my face with a neutral look on his face. It was one of those times where I didn't see him smile, which meant this was a time he was actual concerned about me.

"It looks like you took a little souvenir with you from that little visit."

I shook my head in disbelief, "I didn't even know that was in there."

Was I really under that much pain I didn't recognize a tooth lodged into my arm? Damn, what a day I've had and it isn't even over yet. None the less, Rafiki worked his magic on my arm using the liquid from the fruits he brought to cleanse the open wound. The pain was eerily similar to if you pour alcohol on an open wound. It burned and sizzled when the liquid made contact with the cuts. Then, with a serious frown on his face, he told me I may want to hold onto Sarabi and Sarafina for the next part.

I cocked my head to the side in confusion, "Why is that?"

The answer came in the form of a long, thick quill he said he got from a porcupine. Once I got over the shock of how sharp it looked, he brought out a type of string that clarified my fears. Now you may think that after getting bitten by numerous animals, cauterizing my own wounds, and getting shot at, that getting another sharp object shoved in my arm would seem like an everyday activity. However, I always had a strange phobia of needles, ever since I was four and I was old enough to understand what always caused me pain in a doctor's office.

Once more is that, the other times I was always able to either control the pain, or just shoot and stab whatever was causing me discomfort, this time, it was my doctor who was causing the pain. And even if I wanted to fight back, I knew I couldn't because he would wipe the floor with me. After that day of the fight, I grew a mutual respect for him and made a mental note to never mess with him.

"Rafiki is sorry Lee, but it's the only way to stop the spread of infection."

I sighed in defeat, "Okay, get it over with."

While Rafiki prepared the miniature torture device to use on me, I leaned against Sarafina as Sarabi moved under my injured arm to elevate it. They both nuzzled me as they assured me it would be over before I knew it. The moment of truth came as Rafiki inched the needle close to the bottom of my arm. After a final nod of approval, he jammed the needle into my skin.

"AAAHHH!" I cried

Feeling the need to hold onto something, I dug my fingers into Sarabi's fur as she was still holding it up for Rafiki to sew. A second of a cringe on her features sent a wave of guilt over me; only for it to almost immediately be replaced with agonizing pain once again as my healer dragged the entire length of the quill and string through the wound and out the other side.

"GOD DAMN IT!"

Sarabi looked at me with concern, "Lee, sweetheart pleas try to stop moving."

"I'm sorry if I'm hurting you."I said

She smiled, "Don't be, it doesn't hurt that much."

It felt like an eternity was dragging on as he was constantly stabbing, dragging, stabbing, dragging. Each time, it was as painful as the previous one. But all the while, my grandmother's stayed there, nuzzling me and comforting me. At first, it took me a while to realize Rafiki had stopped stabbing me. I looked down just in time to feel this texture wrap around the wound. A thin, soft leaf now occupied my arm. It wasn't so thick that I couldn't move my arm, but it was still tight enough to keep anything out. I was still able to flex my arm.

"Try not to move it too much, at least for a day or two." Rafiki instructed.

"Thank you." I stuck out my hand.

He shook it, "You are welcome."

"Could I go outside for a while?" I asked my grandmothers.

"For target practice?" Sarabi asked.

I nodded. It was something I had made one of my few pastimes whenever I wasn't watching the girls or getting tutored on my hunting. Sarabi carried me on her back out of the cave and down the slope of Pride Rock. On the side of the Pride Rock was a tree with several large gashes in its trunk. Directly in the middle of the tree was my tomahawk. Ever since I had made that one lucky shot of hitting the hyena while defending Nala, I thought if I practiced enough, I could nurture this skill into a truly deadly technique.

Taking the weapon out of the tree, I made my way over to my usual spot and took aim. I took several breaths before reaching my hand back and throwing it. It landed right where I pulled it out. Several times I repeated this action, with the tomahawk landing more or less in the same place each time. And each time, Sarabi and Sarafina cheered me on. Not long after, I heard another voice of encouragement.

"Very well done young prince." Rafiki said

"Thank you." I said.

Eventually, Rafiki made his way to the side of me, but I couldn't see what he was doing because I was still focusing on my throwing. The sound of heavy 'huffs' from Rafiki brought me to attention. I noticed he was actually practicing striking moves with his staff. He quite elegantly twirled his walking stick around his shoulder and swiping it to the side. At that point, I'm glad we never went toe to toe again after that day. It's obvious he could have hurt me much worse than he did.

"You are quite the martial artist" I said

He nodded, "Thank you."

"Where did you learn that?"

"Years of meditation, and practice."

I chuckled, "Maybe I could be that good some day."

He smiled, "Would you like to learn?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Are you serious?"

"As serious as a snake bite."

I looked back at Sarabi and Sarafina. They both nodded in agreement that I should do it. Turning back to him, I nodded. Rafiki excused himself for a minute while I continued my target practice. He returned with an object that I recognized almost instantly.

"Is that my spear?"

"Rafiki found it the day after king Simba brought you to Pride Rock. He wasn't sure if you still wanted it so Rafiki kept it just in case."

It looked just as good as the day I made it. Even the blood from the fight was still present on the pointy end. The events of that night flashed through my mind when I studied the blood. It didn't take long for me to get distracted by a sharp pain that erupted on my good arm. Shooting Rafiki a glare, I rubbed the spot where there was now a red mark from his staff.

"First lesson, always be prepared for anything." Rafiki said.

He then proceeded to do a step by step walk through of all the motions he had done previously. Each time he finished a set, he would tell me to repeat it just as he had done it. At first, I had dropped my spear several times in an attempt to spin the spear like he had, only to earn a smack on the head with Rafiki's staff each time it fell out of my hands. While I hated getting hit with a passion, I understand why he did it, to motivate me to try harder. Hell, I'd do anything if it meant not getting a stick across the face for the tenth time. But sometimes, he also informed me that it would take a great deal of practice to master this art of combat. After about thirty minutes, he finally announced we would switch to good old fashioned sparring.

Raising his staff in a fighting stance similar to the way he did the day of our fight, Rafiki asked if I was ready. Taking a deep breath, I held my spear firmly in front of me and nodded. He responded by swinging his weapon at a lightning fast speed. So fast that I barely had time to raise my spear to block it. Not that it really mattered because Rafiki instantly reacted by jabbing me with the opposite end without the maraca objects. I grabbed my stomach as I fell to the ground. Coughing from the force of the blow, I shook my head in an attempt to calm the pain that occupied it.

Jumping back to my feet, I once again raised my spear to signify I was ready to go. Rafiki used the same speed, and while I was expecting him to hit me again in the stomach, he threw me off guard by smacking me right on top of the head. The pain in my head increased dramatically when I once again found myself falling flat on my butt for the second time in thirty seconds.

"Do you wish to stop?" Rafiki asked.

At first, I was wondering if this really was my kind of thing. Then I thought about what would happen if I was surrounded by people, and one of my family members was in danger? Fighting off three guys was a challenge, but still due able for me. But there was always the possibility of too many enemies at once, and whoever they were after would suffer because I couldn't do enough. This would mean I could do more; and this world, anything counts.

I smirked as I stood up and raised my spear again, "Come on then."

After a solid hour of getting hit and giving a few solid hits myself, we all decided to call it a night. Making my way up to the slopes with Sarabi and Sarafina, I halted immediately when I saw Nala at the mouth of the cave with Simba. Both my grandmothers noticed my cease in motion and knew why. I asked them to give me a minute to gather myself. Neither of them wanted to leave me alone, but they trusted me.

I came back in after a while to find all of them sleeping on the regular resting place. While I wanted nothing more than to lay against Nala with the girls after the day I had, something still stopped me. I felt like I had to give Nala more time away from me to heal from what I said. Finally deciding to rest in the corner of the cave, I curled up in a ball with not even my sleeping bag that was still on the platform. Obviously, I could have just gone and gotten it without saying a word to her, but that still made me feel uncomfortable. Plus, this was kind of an extra way to punish myself. I didn't deserve to be with them or have comforts like blankets until I got Nala's forgiveness.

They all fell asleep before I did. Many sets of snores and breaths filled the cave as they entered the unpredictable journey know as dream land. The sound of paws pressing against the ground caught my ears. Originally, I thought whoever it was just wanted to get a drink of water. That slight ray of hope lasted for about five seconds when I heard the steps getting closer to me. Whoever it was stopped directly behind me. It was one of those moments when you could just feel another person's presence right next to you. In a final act of desperation, I shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. The creature nudged my shoulder with its snout, obviously very determined to talk to me. With one last depressed sigh, I turned to face my visitor.

My face fell and got deathly pale when I stared back at Nala. She still wore a blank expression on her face, but at least she no longer looked like she wanted to eat me. We both just stared at each other, not saying a word. The snoring from our family members was the only sound that can be heard.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked.

"Sleeping." I said trying to sound serious.

Her eyes narrowed as she spoke again,"Don't you get smart with me right now mister."

I frowned, "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"For what?" she asked.

"You didn't deserve what I said to you. I just felt so bad and had so many emotions bottled up, and you were the one I took it out on."

She still didn't look moved.

"I completely understand that you can't forgive me right away, because I know I don't deserve it, but I promise I will do everything to win back your good-"

Nala interrupted me by nuzzling me so hard I fell flat on my back. I somehow found new tears to cry as I nearly crushed her in a death grip hug. The second my tears fell from my eyes, she licked them away. I kissed her head as we stayed embraced together until my crying finally calmed enough to speak.

"How could you forgive me like this? I thought you would be furious with me."

"I was never angry with you Lee. You were just upset from the events of today, that's why you lost your temper. Obviously, even I have gotten overly upset at times. It's the fact that you acknowledge that you did something wrong and apologize for it is what matters the most. Now come sleep with your family." She told me

We both made our way up the platform were everyone else was sleeping soundly. Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri were cuddled up right next to each other. Simba slept right next to them with both Sarabi and Sarafina laying to his left right beside each other. Nala gently picked up Kiara while I took Tiifu and Zuri in my arms before lying down against Nala like I had done countless times before. They seemed to recognize the shift in motion and snuggled closer to me with happy sighs. Kiara was placed on my chest by Nala before kissing me goodnight and resting her chin on my shoulder. I just started to drift off when Nala's voice brought me back to the present.

"Why don't you come with your grandmothers and I tomorrow for a hunt? We're taking the girls on a hunting trip to help them practice. I know you still can't kill one since you havn't made a manual kill yet and probably couldn't anyway because of your arm. But I think this would be a good way to get out as a family."

I finally smiled, "That sounds great, count me in."

"Good, because thats the last time your going to be allowed out of Pride Rock for a long time."

Smile immedeatley gone, "Grounded, huh? Well I can't say I don't deserve it."

"And Lee," She said, "No matter what happens, whatever words we say or actions we take, at the end of the day there will always be a place for you right here. I don't ever want to see you sleep away from us again. Do you understand me?"

I nodded before rubbing my head against her neck. Similar to the way I nuzzled her the day I saved her from those men. It's almost impossible to believe how far I have come since that day. Once a young man from a small town in America now was a Prince of the Pride Lands. With a King and Queen for parents two loving grandmothers and several adorable little sisters. For the longest time since the day I found my mom and jenny; even after all that death and pain I have seen, there was still goodness and hope. For the second time in my life, I was home.

"I love you… mom." I told her.

She responded, "Not as much as I love you, my son."

 **A/N: Well, this is for sure one of my longest chapters. And to be honest, I didnt want to stop here, but I didnt want to load this chapter with to much story, leaving not a lot of story for other chapters. At first, I wasn't sure which grandmother to bring into the cave to comfort Lee. Because, as Lee stated in this chapter, it was a double edged blade no matter who came in. If it had been Sarabi, he would have had to tell her what she said about Simba. And if it had been Sarafina, Lee would have had to tell her he hurt Nala. So after much debate, I decided I couldn't pick and had to have them both come in. Obviously, neither of them held anything agaisnt him. And having both Tiifu and Zuri come with them was another attempt to establish the close relationship he shares with them both. Anyway, please let me know what you thought of this chapter by leaving a comment for me, until next time, see you around.**


	17. Chapter 17

The land had become just as barren as when the great king Mufasa had ruled the Pride Lands. There was still no food, barely any water, and no sign of green for a hundred miles in any direction. It hardly seemed a place for any animal to live, yet, this is where the hyenas were forced to seek shelter ever since Mufasa's father Ahadi had banished them here years ago.

Their predicament didn't exactly improve after Simba had banished his own kind to the outlands. Now not only were they being taunted by the lions in the Pride Lands, but they also had to deal with lion's right next door. Thankfully, the hyenas had plenty of numbers to their advantage, so many that not even the Outsiders would risk a full on assault. Then there was one chance for them to get some leverage on king Simba and possible get better living conditions, it all hinged on getting his beloved mate.

If only that human hadn't gotten in the way! With his weapons and unshakable drive to protect those he cares for, it has proven all but impossible to take him down. This was the topic of the night as Shenzie spoke to her followers about what to do about the now human prince known as Lee.

"It's going to take all of us to pull this off. I know you're all scared. But if we all come together, we can beat him! He's just one human."

"One human who did this to me!"

Banzai stepped to the front of the crowd and made his way over to his sister. He was always easy to spot because she spent so much time with his in their youth, but now he was impossible not to spot anywhere. After the many savage punches given to him by the human, his right eye was so swollen, he couldn't open it. On top of that, at least three of his teeth were missing. After that night, Banzai had changed drastically for the worse. Usually, he was very upbeat and positive, especially when they talked about doing bad things. Now, he only felt anger and resentment, with the only thing keeping him going being taking down the creature that savagely disfigured his face forever.

"I don't care how we do it, but let me make one think clear, I am the one that delivers the final blow, so he can see that I took his life for what he did to me!"

All the members who were skeptical about the plan before hand were torn down the middle. One half was now even more terrified to go up against the human who is capable of that much rage; while the other was now fueled to seek justice for their fellow hyena.

"Shenzie's right. We need to come together to end what is one of the few things that stands between us and a better life. Think about it, if we take down the human, the only other major threat is Simba, and we have more than enough to overpower and kill him too. Those lionesses and that cub won't stand a chance without their two males to protect them. But it all depends on taking down the human first. When he falls, Simba will be hit with grief all over again. Grief can make people blind, and open for attack."

The remaining hyenas all howled in approval as Shenzie continued his speech. Before long, the entire skull they were resting under shook with amazing force they were shouting so loud. Almost everything seemed to be falling into place. That is until a small voice echoed from the farthest corner of the room.

"What if we don't have to?"

Shenzie sighed as she immediately recognized the owner of the voice. She kept a stern face as both she and Banzai made their way to the place all the young cubs were placed at the end of the day. Out of all of them, only one was never afraid to voice her opinion, even when the situation was bigger than she ever could have imagined. The cub stood up when Shenzie finally approached her, only slightly cowering when Banzai looked down at her with fury in his eyes.

Shenzie spoke first, "What do you mean by that dear?"

"Well, what if we could just talk to the human, get him to maybe like us, maybe he and the lions aren't that bad."

Banzai exploded, "Maybe they aren't that bad!? The lions banished us to this hell hole! And look at what the human did to my face! Honestly cub, stop being so damn stupid!"

The cub instantly cowered at her great uncles rage, "I'm s- sorry uncle Banzai, I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

Shenzie stepped between them, "We know this is hard for you to understand. No cub your age should be around talk about war and death. However, as terrible as it is, you need to learn how to lead, because of you being the oldest in your litter; you will take over this pack after I am gone. Besides, we are doing this for us all to have a better future. Do you understand sweetie?"

The cub nodded, "Yes nana Shenzie."

Shenzie lovingly nuzzled her granddaughter before returning to the group. Even though the cub understood why her family had to kill the human that still didn't mean she took pleasure in letting it happen. Mostly because she wanted to at least see this human up close; from what her grandma and great uncle told her, he was as tall as a lion and just a fierce. His strength could rival a buffalo's and he had no remorse for killing their kind. But it wasn't until she saw this creature up front would she know for herself.

"And so," Shenzie concluded, "When the human is alone, we strike!"

All the clan spoke, "Kill the human, Kill the human, kill the human."

"Come on Lee, you're not even trying anymore!" Kiara whined

"Well, honestly it's kind of hard to play 'eye spy' when you have nothing but rocks to look at."

Kiara and I were still under lock down because of our little adventure to the outlands two weeks ago, and we were both finding it very hard to stay entertained. Hide and seek got old really fast because we barely had anywhere to hide, and 'Eye spy' lasted even less because of obvious reasons. Tiifu and Zuri would eventually come in and keep us company, but at times, Sarabi and Sarafina would take them away to practice hunting. So we had to fend for ourselves at the moment.

"Okay, fine, let me take a wild guess, is it a rock?"

"Yes."

"Very good guess Rafiki's star pupil."

We both turned to the entrance

"Oh, hey Rafiki, what brings you to Pride Rock on this fine day?" I asked him

"Rafiki was just tending to Queen just a minute ago, and he heard the prince and princess so he thought he would drop in and say 'hello'"

I frowned, "Nala, why did you have to help her?"

"Is she hurt?" Kiara asked with a twinge of fear in her voice.

"No, no nothing like that, she was just suffering from a little morning sickness."

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"And is starting to crave Oryx for some reason."

"I thought she hated Oryx."

Rafiki just frowned, "Rafiki wanted to know if he could offer you some entertainment."

"Entertainment like what Rafiki?" Kiara asked

He answered by raising his staff and motioning towards my spear in the corner of the room. Not missing a beat, I got my weapon and twirled it in the motion Rafiki had taught me. It was one of the other things I did to keep busy, even Kiara thought it was cool how I had was able to twirl my weapon in a way of a true martial artist. I motioned for Rafiki to take his best shot, and he did, but I was ready. Right after his first strike failed, he tried again, only for me to block that one as well. At the third strike, I shoved his staff up above his head and used the dull end to poke him in the stomach. Using the second of opportunity, I twirled the spear over my head and swiped it under his feet, sending him crashing to the ground.

Kiara gasped in shock. I wore a smile of triumph, honestly very surprised I had pulled it off. It didn't last long, however, because Rafiki was wearing a look of anger. His eyes were narrowed and dark, like I had just done something unspeakable. My smile vanished as I rushed to his aid, offering him my hand.

"Hey, Rafiki, I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

His laughing caught me off guard, "Do not be sorry Lee, Rafiki is most pleased with your improved skill with your spear. He takes it you have been practicing?"

I nodded, "Every morning when the sun rises, plus a few drills in the afternoon. There isn't much else you can do when you're cooped up in a cave for almost twenty three hours a day."

"Well then, "Rafiki said as he jumped to his feet, "Let us see how much your practice has paid off."

"Gladly." I said.

We continued to spar like that for a good long while. It was much less of a beat down for me and less of a walk in the park for Rafiki this go round. After countless hours of practicing the drills with my spear for weeks on end, it showed in this training session with my teacher. For every time he landed a hit, I returned one just as powerful. All the while this was going on, Kiara was watching, wide eyed on the side lines.

After a while, we both got tired and decided to take a break. Kiara got tired and eventually fell asleep, resting her head on my leg. Rafiki looked at the two of us with joy clear on his face.

"You are very good with her." He said.

"I had practice, being a big brother before this."

"Rafiki remembers, what the jackals did to your family was terrible."

Anger boiled in my blood when I spoke again, "They all deserve to die. Make no mistake Rafiki, if it was up to me, they would all be dead!"

Rafiki frowned, "Have you not been paying attention to what Rafiki has been teaching you?"

"Hasn't my impressive skill with my spear made it obvious that I have been?"

"Aikido is not just about violence, it is about re-directing your enemies. Try to make them see there is another way."

"So what you're saying is, ironically, that the main purpose of this fighting style is to teach you how to avoid conflict?"

"Exactly." Rafiki answered.

"That makes no sense."

"Even so, your anger towards the predators of the Outlands is a little unfairly placed. Think about it, you don't hate them because of where they come from; you hate them because of what that one pack of jackals did to your sister and mother. Believe it or not Lee, not all the predators in the Outlands, even the hyenas, acts the same. You could even say that some act like we do."

"Do you think so?"

His answer was a little hard to understand, "Sisi Ni Sawa"

"What was that?" I asked.

"Sisi Ni Sawa," He repeated, "It means, 'we are the same' "

Our conversation came to a halt when Simba and Nala made their way into the cave.

"Greetings king Simba and Queen Nala, Lee and Rafiki were just practicing his skill with a spear, you will be pleased to know he has improved greatly since our first encounter. "

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Nala praised.

"What can I say, I had a great teacher." I said

"You most certainly did" Rafiki agreed.

Shaking Kiara awake, I turned to Nala and Simba who informed they had a surprise for us.

"Well, two surprises actually." Nala corrected.

"Firstly," Simba began, "We have decided since you have both been so well behaved since the start of your punishment, we will let it end tonight. Starting tomorrow, you both can travel beyond the boundaries of Pride Rock."

I could barely contain the joy I felt. Kiara jumped up and ran to Simba and Nala, lovingly nuzzling them both. They gladly returned the love as I made my way over, wrapping my arms around them. When we released each other, Nala somehow managed to get even more excited. There was a certain twinkle in her eye that I had seen a few times before.

She looked up at Simba before turning to us, "Lee, Kiara, I'm pregnant again!"

All of it made perfect since now. Nala's morning sickness her craving food she hated that look of unconditional joy. To say that I was surprised by the news was a major understatement. I looked down at Kiara to see what she thought. Only to see her blank expression, like she didn't know what to think.

"Well? What do you guys think?" Nala asked when we never answered.

I turned to them. "That's great news you guys."

Nala looked down a Kiara, "Kiara, sweetheart, isn't this great news? You're going to be a big sister."

As if someone had flipped a switch in her head, Kiara's face immediately fell. It was the last thing I or any of us expected to see on her face when hearing this news. Nala looked the most shocked by the look Kiara was giving us.

"What do you mean you're pregnant again?" Kiara cried.

"Well, that's just it sweetie, I found out when Rafiki was treating me this morning." Nala explained.

"But- why did you need another cub? You have Tiifu, Zuri, Lee and ME. Why would you need another one for?" She asked.

"Honey, we didn't really need another cub, it just happened. We didn't plan for it." Nala said.

"What kind of excuse is that?" She yelled.

Simba's eyes narrowed in anger while kneeling down to look his daughter in the eye. Kiara tried her best to look unshaken, narrowing here eyes just like he did, which only made Simba even angrier. I was completely stunned by Kiara's attitude towards this news. She would get upset or mad at some things, but she never got this furious before.

"Young lady," Simba scolded, "We said you could wonder free tomorrow, but maybe you should spend an extra day or two in here by yourself to learn how to speak to your mother."

Kiara Exploded,"FINE, KEEP ME IN HERE. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO ME. YOU WON'T MAKE ME LOVE THIS CUB! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!"

"Kiara." Nala cried, completely heartbroken.

My sister ran passed all of us with a wail as she ran down the slope and out of sight.

"I'll go get her." I told them as I gathered my pistol, shotgun and spear before running in the same direction.

(Kiara's POV)

Tears ran down my face like a waterfall the whole time I ran. Not caring what daddy would do when he inevitably caught me. It was like they tore my heart out of my chest in one conversation. How could they think of having another cub? Weren't the ones they had enough for them? Wasn't I enough for them?

I knew what would become of me when this little ball of fluff is brought into the world. All the attention is going to be towards him. And not just mom and dad, Grandma Sarabi and Sarafina, Tiifu, Zuri, even Lee would all start to pay attention to this thing more! What if it's not a he, what if it was a she? Anger boiled inside me at the thought. _I_ was my daddy's princess, not this creature!

Feeling as if my feet were covered in thorns, and having cried too much to breathe right, I collapsed in the dirt below my paws. Still, crying as if my world had fallen apart around me. The one person I hated losing the most in all this was my big brother. Lee would obviously be more drawn to a cuter, younger cub. And if it was a boy, I may as well not even exist.

I raised my head to get a look at where I was. Upon realization, I was really impressed with myself. For the dry, decayed landscape ahead made it obvious I was just beyond the border of the Pride Lands and had ventured into the Outlands. Burying my face back in my paws, I simply waited for whatever predator to devour me.

"Kiara!"

I shot my head up. Looking behind me, I was greeted with the most beautiful and horrible sight for me to behold right now. My brother was currently running straight towards me. Before I could process what was happening, I was suddenly running deeper into the Outlands. Lee's words fallowed me as I continued to flee.

"Kiara, stop! We need to talk."

Then, almost like being hit by a rock, an enormous amount of force landed on top of me. Refusing to let myself be subdued so easily, I kicked and squirmed with everything I had. But I knew from the beginning I didn't have a chance, for Lee's massive strength and arms made it impossible for me to even get more than one leg free. Even with that, I yelled and shouted at him with great rage I never thought I could have towards someone, especially my brother.

"Let me go!" I demanded

I would have preferred he instantly yell at me, just like daddy would do if he were the one to come get me. But he didn't say a word, all he did was hold me and rock me in a calming motion. And that made me all the more furious, because I felt like the jerk when I wasn't getting yelled at, but doing all the yelling.

Once I had stopped crying all together, Lee lifted me to look him in the eye.

"You about done?" he asked

I only nodded.

"What was that back there?" he asked.

"You don't know what that was like. They are about to have a new cub, and once it's born, mom and dad won't have time for me."

"That's not true and you know it! What about Tiifu and Zuri? You never act like this when they spend time with mom and dad." he asked

"That's not the same. They're both my age, nothing can take attention away from you more than a baby."

"Believe it or not, I know how you feel, I've been there before."

I snapped, "How? You aren't the same as I am, you aren't their real cub!"

His face immediately fell as my paw clamped down on my muzzle. I honestly have never seen him look this heartbroken at me before. He didn't cry, his lips didn't quiver, but the eyes told the story. They became red, and his eyebrows dipped like when you're sad. I can't believe I caused this.

"Lee… I'm"

In one swift motion, he grabbed me and dove behind a large bolder. Immediately looking over it to get a good look at something I couldn't see. Pulling out his gun, what did he call it? A python. He checked to make sure it was loaded before putting it back checking his other gun. The look on his face, added to the panicked reaction he was giving off really got me on edge.

"Lee, what's the matter?"

He snapped his hand over my muzzle before shushing me harshly. I would have been more hurt if I didn't hear what fallowed. And it was something mom and dad told me never to be around. My eyes widened as I looked at my brother in terror.

He nodded, "Hyenas."

Every tear I cried earlier came back as I awaited my fate. At first, I wanted it to happen because I felt alone and didn't want to go back. But now that it was actually happening, I didn't want it at all. Now I will never get to tell mom and dad I'm sorry. Lee noticed my tears and was quick to wipe them away.

"Listen to me," he whispered, "When I yell 'Go Home' you take off in the direction of Pride Rock as fast as your four legs can carry you."

"What about you?"

He sighed, "I'm going to hold them off, give you time to run."

"Are you crazy, I'm not leaving you for them!"

"This is not up for discussion, when I give the signal, you run, and whatever you hear, whatever happens, don't come back for me, understand?"

"Lee, I'm."

"Do. You. Understand?" He repeated.

"Yes but Lee, I."

He kissed the top of my head before speaking again, "I love you too little sis. And listen, I need you to take good care of our new brother or sister, Okay?"

"But you're going to be there too."

He looked away, "Yeah."

He kissed me one last time before jumping over the bolder and yelling in their direction. I heard two gun shots, and several stab and whimpering sounds before I heard the signal.

"Why don't you all just GO HOME!"

Refusing to look behind me, I bolted away from the bolder, and back to Pride Rock. A brief moment of terror hit me when I heard one of the scavengers yell they saw me. That was nothing compared to what came after.

Lee yelled, "Get the hell off me."

Those words rang in my head as I ran for my life.

 **A/N: I know not a lot of you hate cliffhangers, but I just couldn't resist. Some of you asked me to include this character, so I hope I made you happy. I just wanted to say, thanks again for all the reviews and support over the course of this story, and I will see you all next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: What's this, another chapter in less than two days of the last? This chapter may seemed rushed, but I just felt like putting this in as an extra treat for you guys, Enjoy!**

(Kiara's pov)

My heart felt as though it was about to burst. Still not believing I left my brother for those monsters. Although I never did see how many there were, a large part of me was unsure he would ever come back. And to think the last think I said to him was he wasn't really mom and dad's child. What kind of a sister am I!

The enormous formation known as my home came into view. Finally slowing my running down to a slow jog, several thoughts ran through my head when I thought of how to face mom and dad. 'Hey, my brother threw himself into an army of hyenas for me right after I told him he wasn't really my brother'. Great kings, if my parents weren't made at me now, they will be after this.

Mom and dad were at the top of the slope. At first glance, they looked relieved to see me, but that quickly changed as they didn't see Lee. The terror obvious on their faces, which made the ascend to the top all the more difficult. Immediately when I reached them, mom got in my face and used a tone I never heard her use before.

"Where is your brother" She asked in a quiet, serious whisper.

I tried to find the words to tell them, but they somehow got caught in my throat. In that one moment, all the events that led to this came crashing down on me like a pile of boulders. Me yelling at mom and dad for having another cub, something they had no control over. Running away and having Lee come after me. And being the loving brother that he is, not only did he not yell at me, but coddled me the entire time I was screaming at him. And he was more than willing, no volunteering to take on yet another army of hyena's so I could get away.

"Where is your brother?!" mom demanded.

Tears formed in my eyes as I tried to speak, "He- he's"

She roared in impatiens and rage. This was definitely something I have never seen her do. Her large frame now hovered over me, teeth bared as she got almost uncomfortably close to my face. Never before had I seen how big and sharp her canines were until she got so close I could smell the Oryx she had been craving on her breath.

"WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?! ANSWER ME! "She said with light roar.

Daddy immediately seized her by the scruff and started dragging her off of me. Grandma Sarabi had me in her embrace as grandma Sarafina tried calming mom down. Who was now a sobbing mess.

"Nala, please calm down, your scaring Kiara." She pleaded.

"No! Not again, not again." Mom cried.

I was too wrapped up in shock and self loathing to care what that meant. The sobs of my mother echoed in my ears as my grandmother carried me into the safety of Pride Rock. She stepped on the platform and placed me between her paws, licking my head and face in a calming motion. Not that it did anything to make me feel the least bit better about myself. Tiifu and Zuri came close and started asking me what happened out there and why was my mom crying? More importantly, where was Lee? The only response I gave was lowering my head and sighing as I hoped to wake up from this nightmare soon.

Hours passed, and soon the sun was beginning to fall. Grandma Sarabi carried me outside to take part in one of our favorite traditions, watching the sun set. I know daddy usual likes to watch the sun rise, but I still am not that determined in my role as future queen to wake up that early. So we made it a thing for all of us to watch the sun set together. By all of us I mean myself, Grandma Sarabi and Sarafina, mom, Tiifu, Zuri and… Lee. Needless to say, I wasn't intrigued to take part in this tonight.

"Look Kiara. Isn't it lovely?" Granma Sarabi asked.

I didn't answer.

"Sweetheart?" She tried again.

"It should have been me." I said.

She looked at me, "What should have been you honey?"

"When Lee told me to leave and that he would hold them off, I should have been the one to stay behind."

"But the hyenas would have killed you."

"Maybe they should have." I snapped.

"Don't say that darling." Grandma pleaded.

"They definitely should have."

"Do not say that Kiara!" Grandma demanded.

Finally giving into my grief all together, I buried my face in her chest as I cried my lungs out. She was there for me as always, calming and shushing me until I had cried so much I got tired and laid down in her paws.

"If I hadn't of run away, Lee wouldn't have come after me, he's out there, dead because of me." I cried

"We don't know he's dead Kiara." She tried.

"Oh yeah? The last thing I ever heard him say was telling all the hyenas to get off of him as they pounced on him from all directions. Not even a warrior as skilled as Lee could survive that shear number of hyenas! The fact is IF he were alive, he would be back by now! But he isn't, and it's all because I was too selfish to want a new baby brother or sister!"

She lovingly nuzzled me before answering, "Baby, your right, we don't know if he's alive. But blaming yourself isn't going to help matters. All we can do is trust in the Great Kings to give him strength to fight through it and guide him home."

All I could do is lay back down and witness the emptiest sunset in my entire life. While her words did offer some comfort, I knew that when it comes to my family, the 'Great Kings' don't really swoop in to save the day.

 **A/N: This has got to be my shortest and most quickly put together chapter I have ever written. Please forgive me if you think it lacks story, but I just felt like giving you guy's one more. You may have also noticed that there was absolutely no Lee in this chapter. Could that mean something? Well I'm not telling. (Evil Laugh!). So until next time, ketch ya later.**


	19. Chapter 19

(Unknown POV)

The walk was at least an hour long at this point, and the fact that there was little to no water in sight made it all the more horrendous of a journey. My paws felt as though they were about to fall off, and my throat was as dry as a desert. So much of my body begged me to just stop walking for five minutes, but the fears of either getting smacked by uncle Banzai or scolded by nana Shenzie quickly put those thoughts to a halt.

"It won't be much longer sweetie." Nana said

I looked up at her, "Why are we walking so much again? I thought we had to wait until the human was alone for all of you to take him down. And why do I have to come with you?"

"I wanted to show you what we will be getting in exchange for the life of that one human. Not only that, but you need to see what it will take to lead these creatures. You need to know that it can get ugly."

My eyes widened in shock, "You're going to make me watch while you kill him?!"

Uncle Banzai snapped, "Watch the way you talk to your grandmother girl! The sooner you see what it takes to be a leader, the sooner you will stop being so damn weak!"

I whimpered, "I'm not weak."

His usual crooked grin formed on his muzzle as he met me at eye level. Dark nothingness stared back at me through the one good eye he had left. Although I would never say this to him out loud, I was actually kind of happy when I saw his face after that one battle with the human. The blood, the eye, but most of all, his fear really made me secretly squeal in joy. Not that I generally take pleasure in the suffering of others, but my uncle Banzai had always been cruel to all us cubs, me especially. And I don't even think it was for any reason in particular, but he always did call me his 'favorite niece'.

He spoke again, "Then why do you look like you're about to cry?"

"That's enough Banzai!" Nana snapped, "I have been more than patient with you due to your abuse at the hands of the human. However, if you keep this up any longer, I will take your other eye and watch you crawl like the-"

BANG

Falling to the ground and covering my ears, I frantically scanned the area to see what made that otherworldly noise. All my attention was quickly drawn to one scene that brought a cold chill down my spine. Lying down, with blood pouring out of her left front leg, was my Nana.

"Grandma!" I shrieked.

Uncle Banzai shouted, "It's him, he's right there!"

Making my way over to her, I was horrified to see the river of blood exiting her body. I immediately nudged her face to see if she was still alive. When she didn't wake up at first, I tried to lick some of the blood off her foot. But I know that wouldn't do any good, so I just cried out a pitiful plea.

"Nana, please wake up! I can't lose you!" I sobbed.

"Wha- what happened?" She asked in a dazed whisper.

"Grandma, there was a loud noise like thunder, your leg got hurt and you fell down. Uncle Banzai said something about _him_ being here."

Her eyes widened, "Go hide!" She yelled, "Find a safe spot and don't come out for any reason, do you understand?"

"Nana, I can't leave you here!"

She showed me with her snout, "Go, RUN!"

I sprinted away from her in a panic, looking for the safest place. As luck would have it, there was a nice bolder for me to hide behind that was a good few feet away from all the noise. Ducking down behind it, I tried to block out all the sounds, but it proved impossible because there was so much of it. Several other loud bangs echoed through the air, yelps from some of my clan, sending pegs of worry in the pit of my stomach. And the cries and grunts of what I can only assume is the human. Even that sound made me worry. The thing that scared me the most was my uncle's laughter of joy when he finally spoke.

"Yes!" he cried, "we got him!"

Everything went quiet. All except for a few laughs from my clan members, and the quiet whispers of my uncle that I couldn't make out. Then all of a sudden, there was a cry like something out of a hellish nightmare. At what I could only describe as someone dying in agony, just one creature.

Then… Silence.

(Kiara's POV)

I was watching the rain fall from a dark night sky. Tiifu and Zuri were trying to strike up a conversation, to no avail. Mom and Dad were lying together and cuddling. Mom stopped crying later in the day, but she still wore that look of despair. She still didn't even make eye contact with me since her scene when I came home.

"Kiara, you know your brother is coming back soon, right?" Tiifu tried.

"Sure." I said dryly as I rolled my eyes.

"He is!" she yelled in anger, "He's the bravest being in the Pride lands, and those stupid poachers are probably seriously regretting messing with him. I bet he's going to be coming through the entrance of the cave any minute. "

"I doubt it!" I screamed

Tiifu immediately looked hurt. Her eyes began to tear up as her ears fell. Everyone else looked in our direction; even mom looked at least a little out of her trance as she disapprovingly glared down at me. Not wanting to get in even more trouble, and still feeling pretty bad about snapping at her, I turned to Tiifu to apologize. Only to find she was looking directly at me with tears still in her eyes, and she was smiling.

"Look behind you, and tell him that." Tiifu said

Almost in a slow motion fashion, I did as she told me. Still not totally willing to hope at what she was hinting at was true. Then I was met by yet again the most beautiful and horrific scene of my existence. He was standing there, shirtless, dripping with both water and blood from multiple slash wounds that looked like they hurt like no other. Two sets of three claws on his left pectoral muscle, and one that ran down his right abdomen. Another extremely long one that curved almost like a crescent moon ran all the way down the left side of his upper body. Despite all those horrific wounds, he was smiling. As if he had just stepped into the happiest place on earth. With fresh tears in my eyes, I rose to my feet for the first time in hours and walked in his direction.

My brother spoke, "You guys aren't getting rid of me that easy."

 **A/N: There, you can all breathe a sigh of relief; Lee is back home, safe and sound… for now. HaHaHaHaHA! But seriously, I probably wouldn't have updated so quickly this time but a lot of you sounded almost surprised by my cliffhanger ending. And while I know Cliffhangers are good to keep the fans in suspense, I just didn't have the heart to keep you guys hanging like that. Don't thing there won't be more jaw dropping moments down the road though. Just a heads up, I have family coming in from out of state, and they will be staying with for a few weeks, so it may take me a while to update my next chapter. So please bear with me, review, and spread the word about my story. Feel free to PM me at any time. Until next time, catch you later!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: What can I say? I missed you guys. Here is chapter 20!**

I stood in the entrance of Pride Rock, staring back at the awestruck faces of my family. They all looked like they had just seen a ghost, and judging from the ordeals that I had to go through, I am probably the closest thing to one they have ever seen. All of them, with the exception of Kiara, stayed completely still. I kneeled down as Kiara got within arm's length of me. The look she had was like she couldn't believe it was me. At first, I was so happy to see her, I didn't notice the tears in her eyes, when I did notice them, I thought they were because she was happy I was back. But the words she spoke as they finally fell brought that theory to a screeching halt.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, "I didn't mean what I said before we got separated! I was just so selfish and stupid to see you were only trying to help me. If you don't want to forgive me, I completely understand. Be- because I was a terrible sister! And you still did everything you could to protect me. Just know that I am so-"

Immediately seizing her and pulling her close to my chest, I rocked her back and forth as she cried fresh tears into my bare skin. Salty tears on my numerous open wounds kind of made it more painful for me, but I was too caught up in comforting Kiara to care.

"Ssshh, its okay Kiara, just cry it out. I know you didn't mean what you said. We all make emotional mistakes. I love you little sis."

"I love you too big brother, and it's so great to have you back!"

"LEE!" Nala roared

My mother came stalking towards us with an unmistakable look of rage in her eyes. Take the anger she had towards me the day of the crocodile attack and times that by ten, then you would be in the same ball park of the anger she was giving off right now. She huffed out great amounts of breath, like a dragon that wanted to light my ass up. Simba tried to grab Nala, but she immediately broke free and continued to walk towards me. The same could be told for both my grandmother's attempts to hold her at bay. Both Tiifu and Zuri hurriedly split when Nala came pass them for fear of getting run over. Kiara slowly started to get off my lap as Nala got closer; throwing me an apologetic look as she did so.

"Well, what can I say? it's been nice knowing you big brother."

"Thanks a lot." I replied.

Nala was now within pouncing distance, I held my hand up in a pathetic attempt to keep her at bay. For some unknown reason, she actually did stop, that look of fury not leaving her features for a second.

"Okay, listen Nala, I know you're probably upset. But do you remember what you told me the night of that thing with Zira? You know 'No matter what happens, at the end of the day you'll always have a place right here'? That's what you said right? Don't you remember?" I asked.

At first, she only stared back at me with a blank expression. Almost terrifyingly similar to how my father looked before ending his life. I was almost certain I had lost her for good. She leaned down and stretched her front legs out, preparing to strike. I fell flat on my back as she landed on top of me, adding excruciating amounts of weight to my already bloodied up body. Closing my eyes and preparing to get a good bite on the arm or the leg, I was completely caught off guard when I heard a snivel come from above me. Daring to open my eyes, I was met with yet another set of eyes with tears streaming down them. Nala covered my face with saliva as she licked my face so fast I could barely get my mouth open. She only stopped to nuzzle me a few times a minute.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again, Lee. Do you understand me? If this ever happens again, you won't be let out of Pride Rock for the rest of eternity!" She scolded fiercely. "Oh, I love you so much. You know that's why I'm yelling at you, right?"

I patted her shoulder rapidly

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"A- Air!" I gasped.

Finally getting the message, she sprinted off of me. Sucking in a large amount of air, I had about a mila second to cherish the space before I was instantly swarmed again by both my grandmothers. They didn't jump on top of me, thank goodness; they just nuzzled me as I wrapped my arms around them and kissed them both. Tiifu and Zuri came running at me at such a speed, I got knocked over for the umpteenth time today. I actually laughed this time as they nuzzled and licked my face. Kiara took the moment to climb back on top of me and join her sister figures in smothering me. Even Zazu made his way over and bowed respectfully at me. I nodded back at him before grabbing him and ruffling the top of his head. As someone who is usually all business, he didn't really take to it at first, but he eventually ended up laughing along with the girls.

Only Simba remained the one to not welcome me back yet. He just stood on the raised platform, taking everything in. Then, when everything started getting quiet, he started to walk down the platform towards the rest of us. His expression wasn't enraged like Nala's or overjoyed like everyone else's, just shocked. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained uncertain. We all remained silent as he until he was right in front of me.

"What were you thinking?" he snapped.

I sighed, "I'm sorry."

"For what exactly, nearly getting yourself killed or causing your mother to go into a panic attack when you didn't come home?"

"Well I'm here now!" I snapped, "I understand if you were upset and scared when I didn't come back with Kiara, but you got to understand, if you want people you care about to be safe, you have to take drastic measures. Sometimes, not everyone gets to come back! But I can definitely say, I would do it again for any one of you! And if you're going to get pissed at me for wanting to protect someone I love more than anything in the world, go ahead. Yell, roar, jump on me and smack me senseless. Just know that I don't regret it. And I never will!"

Everyone looked surprised by my outburst. The one creature I would have to be insane to yell at just got yelled at. Even Simba himself looked a little caught off guard by my reprisal. I braced myself to have five hundred pounds of muscle and fur jump on me. He just stood there for a few seconds before inching closer. My muscles tensed, but my reserve last for about two seconds before I felt him nuzzle me, just like everyone else had. And just like everyone else, I wrapped my arms around my father. Our embrace lasted for a good fifteen seconds before we separated, only for him to ruffle my hair with his massive paw as his once stern face broke into a smile.

"That's my boy." He claimed proudly.

 **A/N: I promise you guys, next chapter will be longer. Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I will only say one thing about this chapter, get the tissues ready.**

Simba and Nala carried me up the platform and laid me down comfortably. Leaning against Sarabi to us her as a pillow, I was then surrounded by all of them hammering me with questions. What happened to the hyenas? How did I get away? How many did I kill this time?

"I only killed one of them." I told them.

"One?" Tiifu asked.

"Yeah, when I killed that one, the rest of them were so terrified they took off running."

"Wow!" She exclaimed.

"Zazu, please fetch Rafiki and tell him Lee needs care." Simba commanded

"At once your highness." Zazu said with a bow before flying out of the cave.

Kiara nuzzled me lovingly before licking my face.

"I still can't believe you made it out. There were so many of them!"

I chuckled while flexing my bicep, "It's going to take more than a few hyenas to take me down."

She and the girls giggled as they attempted to pounce on me. One pained groan from me was all it took for Nala to put it to a halt. So we just settled for laying together as they continued asking me about the battle.

"I bet those hyenas won't be back for a long time after what you did to them Lee." Zuri exclaimed

I looked out of the split in the ceiling at the night sky. The rain had stopped and the moon and stars now occupied it. A frown crept on my face as the last few hours finally came down on me.

"Yeah." I said.

(Hours Earlier)

The hyenas all stared at me with shock and rage that could pierce a bolder. The one bullet I shot hit Shenzie square in the leg. A massive amount of blood was currently spilling from the exit wound. The one male that stepped forward out of crowed was one I recognized immediately. Banzai bared the remainder of his teeth at me with a rage that couldn't be matched.

"Take him boys!" he commanded.

At that, two of the hyenas charged me. Firing off two shots, I hit one in the leg and the other in the side. Making sure not to hit anything vital, I wanted to try and leave without taking a life. If I really wanted to understand Rafiki's teachings, I had to try and spare as many enemies as possible. I struck two more with the blunt end of my spear, causing them to whimper and yip in pain as they ran in the opposite direction. One managed to clamp down on my hand that had the gun causing it to go flying across the dirt. Although I did manage to knock it out of the way with my spear a second later, in that short time, two more literally got the jump on me and after grabbing both my arms, forcing me to my knees. Panic spread through me as one of them mentioned seeing Kiara, but it didn't last long when Banzai told them not to go after her, yet.

"Get the Hell off me!" I demanded

"Yes, "Banzai exclaimed, "We got him!"

All the hyenas howled in delight. The wicked laughs that they were famous form rang out in all directions. They were all currently surrounding me, all except for Shenzie, who was still lying on the ground several feet away. Banzai was inches from my face at the moment, his busted eye and missing teeth almost brought a sense of joy to me. At least I got to give him one hell of a beating, one that he's probably going to return tenfold any minute. The one silver lining in this is Kiara wouldn't be in harm's way. That alone makes up for the hell I'm about to endure.

"What are you waiting for? Take him out already!" One called from the crowd.

Another male made his way beside Banzai. He was about the same size, but the hair on the back of his neck was slightly longer. On top of that, he had a peculiar accent that made me think he was from a New York zoo. Banzai addressed the male with a sneer.

"Remember your place Janja! Just keep your two nitwits from letting the human go or I'll take out of your hide!"

The male, Janja, growled as he looked at me, "You heard him boys, keep him down or it will be my neck."

The male that was holding my lefts sleeve spoke up in a high voice, "You got it Janja."

"Yeah, we got him right where we want him." The other spoke in a slightly deeper tone of voice.

Banzai turned back to me, "Remember me?"

I stared him down. They may scare me shitless at times, but I would never give the satisfaction of knowing it. He also must have noticed this, because when I didn't show any reaction, he got angry. With one swoop, his unsheathed claws slashed my left peck. All I would give him was a suppressed groan.

"I asked you a question, human!" he demanded.

"How could I not remember you with a face like that? And here I thought you couldn't get any uglier."

His response was another slash right next to the first one. Before I had time to process the pain of that wound, a third occupied my right abdomen. No longer able to suppress my cries, I let out a small shout as the third strike landed. Realizing he had finally gotten to me, Banzai chuckled wickedly at my pain and misery.

I looked him dead in the eye, "Take your best shot."

He extended one of his claws to reach farther and slowly inched it towards the little undamaged skin I had left. For what felt like half an hour, he patiently inched the claw forward before jamming it into my flesh at an agonizingly slow rate. Gritting my teeth, I just barely managed to bite back a sob as he dragged it down the whole left side of my body until it reached my pants. One thing I couldn't stop was the tear sliding down my face. They all got a good laugh out of that. Despite everything that was happening, all the agony that coursed through my body right now, I suddenly found myself laughing as well. The sound of my laughter caused all the hyenas to stop and stare at me as if I had gone crazy, and to be honest, I don't blame them. If I was watching a guy getting cut to ribbons and still finding it in him to laugh about it, I'd thing he was crazy too. The only one that didn't looked shocked was Banzai, who just looked flat out pissed off at this point.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded.

I glared at him, "I don't have a problem."

He raised his eyebrows, "You are one stupid human, you know that? Here I am, cutting you to pieces and your acting like your having the time of your life! Are you crazy? You're going to die and you're laughing about it!"

"It doesn't matter, because I've already won." I assured him.

He actually looked puzzled, "What are you saying?

I inched my face closer to his, "Kiara's probably all the way back at Pride Rock by now, she'll tell them what happened. When she does, and they come looking for me, they'll find me most likely dead. Hears the part where I win, pay attention now. When they see me like this, imagining that I must have died in agony, they will be sad, heartbroken even. But they'll go looking for you. And when they find you, there will not be enough hyenas in all of Africa to protect you, and not just from Simba. In fact, you'll probably be begging for him to sink his teeth into you so you won't have to face the wrath of the lionesses. You know what they say, 'Hell hath no fury like an angry mother or grandmother."

For a brief moment, he did look legitimately terrified. He face went from one of confusion to one of utmost horror as what I said dawned on him. Throughout our time together, all of my family made it obvious they would do anything for me or anything to anyone who would harm me. While you might still think I'm crazy because I'm laughing at my own demise, what I said was true. If Banzai was stupid or crazy enough to kill me, he would be signing his own death warrant. That alone should knock some sense into him to just let me go and escape with his head. I was wrong.

"What do I care what a puny group of cats can do? Simba's the only real threat. When we tear him limb from limb, that bitch of a queen of his will beg for mercy."

"Watch it pal." I warned in a dangerously calm voice.

He ignored my warning, "After that, those two old hags' will be easy to take care of. One good chomp to the throat will do them in just fine."

My body started to shack uncontrollably. My chest felt like it was about to explode as my face got fiery hot. I tried steadying my breathing to stay calm, but the images of what awaited my family made me lose focus. Them tearing Simba to pieces, Nala, Sarabi and Sarafina getting slaughtered as the girls watched in horror. I honestly thought I had reached my boiling point. What Banzai said next proved me dead wrong.

"And those girls, we won't kill them; I can probably get a good trade for them in the backlands. There are coalitions of males who need wives, they are still young, but they are pretty. Plus, males love a virgin that is if I don't break them in before they do. My 'favorite niece' is starting to bore me. AAAAAAHHHH!"

My teeth clamped down on his muzzle with everything I had. His shrieks of agony only fueled my determination to not let go. Janja immediately stepped away from him as the rest of the clan watched in horror.

"Get him off, get him off!" Banzai pleaded

The two hyenas holding my arms were so caught off guard by my outburst, that their grips on my arms weakened enough for me to break free and pick up Banzai. I slammed him on the ground before picking up my weapon and spearing him through the leg, immobilizing him. He howled in agony as his clan members all laid flat on their stomachs and flattened their ears, classic submissive position.

I roared, "GO!"

"Let's get out of here boys." Janja commanded.

"But Janja, what about Shenzie, Banzai and..."

"Forget about them, come on!" He demanded.

"You cowards! Don't leave me here!" Banzai called after them.

Shenzie finally spoke up, "Don't leave YOU here?!"

Banzai was about to respond, but my shadow over his body stopped him dead in his tracks. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull as his whole body shook like an earthquake. A large chunk of fur and skin was missing from his snout that I had bitten off, I spat it on the ground in discuss. Miraculously, I somehow managed to restrain myself from stabbing him in the head right then and there. Instead, I kneeled down to look him in the eye, only to see that the bloodthirsty killer wasn't there anymore. All I saw was a sad, pathetic waste of fur who was probably considering begging for his life.

"Listen, you got to know I was kidding, right? I would never actually do anything to hurt your family, hell why would I? The badass that you are, you could survive anything and come after me. It was just a misunderstanding; I was trying to make you laugh."

Give me a break.

I kept my voice calm and leveled, "So you think talking about killing innocence and selling cubs into sexual slavery is funny?" I asked.

Realizing his mistake, he tried to reword his apology.

"What, n- no of course not. I was only…"

"You know, I'm starting to think that you have got a sick sense of humor. The worst joke I heard was when you actually threatened to molest the cubs of my pride. You really need to come up with some new material." I said, inching my face closer to his.

"No, "He begged, "p- please doesn't hurt me."

"Hey, listen, today is your lucky day. My teacher, you may know him, Rafiki the mandrill? Blue fur, white beard, slightly crazed look in his eye. He has been teaching me a form of martial arts known as Aikido. It is not just about fighting; it's about redirecting your enemies to show them they don't need to fight. That's why I didn't shoot to kill."

"Oh, well that's good." Banzai said.

"However, I should tell you there is one more enraged creature you should try to avoid."

"And... what would that be?" He asked.

I stood as I grabbed my shotgun and pumped it before pointing it directly at his head. His face immediately dropped back down in terror as he realized all his smooth talk did nothing. With a quivering lip, he tried to find his voice, but all that came out was a pitiful whimper.

"That would be me. No one threatens my little sisters and any of my family and walks away." I told him. Taking a shotgun away from his face, I proceeded to point it a good few feet lower.

"Good luck raping any more cubs without this."

He hurriedly blurted out, "No! No please,"

BANG!

The Banshee type shriek that exited his mouth was one that could send a ripple through the earth. If I wasn't so satisfied with the sound, it probably would have terrified me. Deciding to leave him in his own pain, I made my way over the only other hyena in sight. Shenzie saw me coming and tried to drag herself away with little success. When I did get close to her, I stepped on her wounded leg and pointed my gun at her.

"Not so fast!"

She didn't seem to notice me; all of her focus seemed to be on a boulder several feet away from us.

"What are you looking at, are their more of your clan back there?" I asked making my way to the spot.

"No, please don't hurt her!"

I tore what was left of my tank top off and tied it around her muzzle, telling her to not move. Her cries of desperation only seemed to increase as I got closer to whatever was behind the rock. Bringing my gun up, I prepared to shoot if necessary. With one last breath, I jumped over the rock and aimed it at what was inside. Only to halt myself when I realized it was nothing more than a small hyena cub that looked like she was the same age as Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri. The fear in her eyes upon seeing me made me feel instantly terrible. One thing I hated was being the cause of pain and fear, especially towards kids. After years of being under the thumb of a drunk, abusive tyrant, I promised myself I would never do what he did to us.

I gently reached my hand out, "its okay sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you."

She only backed further away with a terrified cry. Poor girl, I guess it was hard to imagine her not being terrified of me considering I became famous for slaughtering members of her clan. Gently walking forward, I tried a second time to assure her I wasn't the bloodthirsty killer they made me out to be. I made sure to speak in a younger voice to try and keep her calm.

"Hey, listen, I know you think I'm scary, and I don't blame you. But we need to get to safety. You are going to have to come with me. My names Lee, what's yours?"

Her head slightly rose,"Jasiri sire."

"Well, it's nice to see you Jasiri. That's a very pretty name."

"Thank you." She said as she gave me a small smile.

"We need to get moving, it's going to be dark soon, and predators will be twice as active at night. It also smells like it's about to rain. What do you say we don't get wet?"

"What happened to my Nana?"

"Is your Nana named Shenzie?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"She right over there, and I know I shot her in the leg, but I think I could help her if you just come with me."

She looked cautious, "You won't hurt me?"

I nodded, "You have my word as a prince of the Pride Lands."

With one last suspicious look, she fallowed me out to her grandmother. When Shenzie saw us walk out together, she looked both relieved and terrified at one time. Jasiri ran over to Shenzie and lovingly nuzzled her before trying to lick the blood off her foot. I reached them and knelt down to get in Shenzie's face, to let her know that I meant business.

"Listen to me, I don't care what kind of personal vendetta you have against me. I'm sorry I killed your people, but I was only doing it to protect someone I love. I'm sure you would do the same for her." I said pointing at Jasiri.

She nodded in response before nuzzling her granddaughter. I would be lying if that didn't bring a smile to my face. Just the way they looked at each other made me feel like I was looking in a mirror at my interactions with Sarabi and Sarafina. Shenzie's eyes were full of love for this young cub, and Jasiri returned every last drop of it, if not more.

"We need to get going, it's going to storm soon and I assume you both don't want to be caught in the rain?"

"No." Jasiri said.

Shenzie shook her head.

"But my Nana can't walk on her own, her leg hurts." Jasiri stated.

I grabbed Shenzie's muzzle before speaking again.

"I can carry you if you want, but you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid while you're in my care. As much as I would hate to in front of Jasiri, if you make me, I WILL put you down without second's hesitation. I'm trying to not kill as much as I have before, weather I do it or not is completely up to you. I will also personally provide you with a fresh meal if you cooperate. Do we understand each other?"

All she did was stare at me with that same look of discus and hate she always had. I was honestly getting tired of trying to talk some sense into this chick; in fact if Jasiri wasn't here, I probably would have just left her here. But Jasiri was here, and I wouldn't let her feel the pain I have felt several times since coming to Africa. To lose one of the few things that makes your life worthwhile. For the sake of the cub, I had to make her at least get along with me until we parted ways.

"If you won't do it for you, do it for Jasiri. She will most likely die out here tonight if you can't protect her, there are more animals then just lions and hyenas out here you know. Come with me and I will keep you both safe. I promise you."

After one last look at her granddaughter, Shenzie looked back at me and nodded. I returned the nod and gently picked Shenzie up and placed her on my shoulders. With Jasiri walking in front of us, we made our way across the outlands. The entire place looked like a polar opposite of the Pride Lands. There was no green, barely any water, and no joyful interactions between the animals. In fact, it looked almost deserted, with little to no signs of life. And whatever creatures did interact with each other, it was to fight over what little food they had.

There was a small cave we were able to take shelter in. I placed Shenzie on the ground and began to inspect the gunshot wound. There was still a large amount of blood lose, which is something we needed to stop as fast as possible. I cautiously took off my shirt that was still tied across her muzzle.

"I got good news and some bad news."

"What is it?" She asked

"The bullet passed clear through, so I won't have to dig it out of your skin. I would imagine Nala would be jealous of you. Bad news, I have to stop the bleeding and prevent it from getting infected."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well…"

"AAAHHHHH! STOP, STOP, IT BURNS!" She cried

"I know, that's the point, hold still!"

After pressing the burning wood against her foot, I threw it down and stomped on it before turning to Jasiri. She was so frightened by Shenzie's cries of pain that she ran to the other side of the cramped cave and started sobbing. Making my way over to her, I gently picked her up before bringing her back over to comfort her grandmother. Shenzie stared daggers at me until I put Jasiri down at her side. Once there, Jasiri ran to Shenzie and cried into her fur. It was as if Jasiri was the one who got burned from the way she was crying over it.

I told them I would be back as soon as possible as I left to search for food. Let me tell you, it was so much harder than hunting in the Pride Lands. There, we usually had to take one or two steps before walking across a meal. Here, I had to walk for a good thirty minutes before I found a small female gazelle grazing on a small patch of grass. After carrying it back to the cave, I was met by the two most joy filled smiles I have ever seen. As soon as I set it down, Jasiri started pulverizing it with her teeth. Her reaction to such a small meal just blew my mind. The girls back home usually pout when they have to eat gazelle, Zuri especially. Only for them to be strictly scolded by Nala that they should never take any food for granted. That lessen was never more clear to me as I watched this cub tear into a puny, possibly sickly animal as if it were a banquet.

Shenzie for some reason waited to eat anything. I looked at her, only to find her staring right back at me. There seemed to be something different in the stare she was giving me this time, like possibly less hostile than before. We stared at each other before she nudged Jasiri with her snout, only to get no reaction from her for she was too busy stuffing herself with glee. With a less than pleased expression, Shenzie leaned down a swiftly nipped her granddaughter in the tail, causing her to yip in surprise before shooting Shenzie a surprised and rather hurt look.

"Nana!" Jasiri whined

"Oh, I barely even touched you. Where are your manners Jasiri? I know I didn't raise you to be so thoughtless when it came to being polite! What do have to say to Prince Lee for giving us this meal?"

With a look of shame plastered on her face, she turned to me and said thank you to me. Looking back at Shenzie, she waited for a nod to continue feasting. To say I was surprised at that would be the understatement of the week. Not at the apology itself, Jasiri really does seem like a girl who is genuinely sweet. It was that her grandmother made sure she said thank you. Someone who just a few hours ago was leading her people to kill me. It's amazing what a little food can do to a creature.

"You both are very welcome." I said

"Please take a piece, it's your kill." Shenzie said.

"I killed it for you, besides, I had a big breakfast."

With that, they both continued to devour the carcass like it was the first piece of food they have had in days. And judging from the conditions of the land around them, that very well may be the case. Within a few minutes, there was barely any meat left on the skeleton. With one last happy sigh, Jasiri laid down against Shenzie so she could get clean. Every once in a while her whiskers would tickle Jasiri's face, causing the cub to giggle with joy. Her laugh could rival Kiara's in how cute it was. Just like with Kiara's laugh, hers brought a smile to my face.

Afterword, they both lay together, just nuzzling each other. It was at that point that I realized Rafiki was right. Some of the creatures in the outlands actually were a lot like us. The way these two interacted with each other was a spitting image of how I interacted with my family. They loved each other more then anything in the world.

"Be honest Prince Lee, what made you hesitate to kill my clan today? We would have taken your life without a second thought. But you didn't do it, except with Banzai, why is that?"

"Something a friend of mine told me"

"What did your friend say?" Jasiri asked

"Repeat after me, 'Sisi Ni Sawa"

"Sisi Ni Sawa, what does that mean?"

"It means, 'we are the same."

"Do you think that's true?"

"I do now. I never really understood what you guys were about. And at first I thought you were only out to get what you wanted, not caring if you hurt others. But after today, I realized you guys aren't that different from me and my family. The love you have for each other is real and strong, and you don't want to be the bad guys, you guys just wound up on the wrong end of the Savannah."

Shenzie looked speechless, "That was… beautiful."

"Thank you, and if you don't mind me asking, how did you and the other hyenas end up here?"

"My kind has been here since the reign of Ahadi. That's king Simba's grandfather. Most of us were able to live by the circle of life with the rest of the Pride Landers; sadly, not all of us were so cooperative. And while we tried to convince Ahadi that we were not all like the ones who took more than what they were allowed, he couldn't trust us anymore. We have been living here since before I was born."

"I'm sorry."

"We get by. All I want is a prosperous life for my people. Whatever questionable decisions I have made, it was all for the sake of my family."

"Have you ever thought about just asking King Simba for land to live on? I know him well, and he is nothing like Ahadi. If you ask and promise to stay true to the circle of life, he will grant your request."

Shenzie looked doubtful, "It would never work, we have…. Complicated history."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

She sighed, "I helped his Uncle Scar take over the Pride Lands, and was responsible for the murder of Simba's father, Mufasa."

"What?"

"Believe me; I'm not proud of it. Scar actually had us believe he cared about us. He brought us food, treated us like actual living creatures as opposed to his father and brother treating us like dirt. It wasn't until he was trying to save himself by casting us aside did we all see what kind of monster he was. We ended his life the night Simba reclaimed the throne. With what we did to his father, we knew Simba would never let us stay in the Pride Lands."

"Well, at least you know you made the mistake. "

"I suppose."

"You both should get some sleep, we head out at dawn."

We were just outside of their den, a rather small cave that looked occupied by way too many for comfort. They turned to with new eyes then what they first looked at me.

"Thank you Lee, for everything." Shenzie said.

Jasiri nuzzled me, "Thanks Lee, I hope I can see you again someday."

"I'm sure we will, and remember what I told you."

"Sisi Mi Sawa, don't worry, I won't forget it." She promised.

(Present)

"Well, Rafiki is pleased you got to put your fighting skills to use. He just wishes you could have escaped with less battle scars." My teacher said as he spread a burning liquid on my last major cut.

"I actually agree with you on that one Rafiki." I said.

"Are you kidding? With these scars, no other animal will dare touch him!" Kiara chimed.

Nala snapped, "Kiara, this is no time to celebrate your brothers suffering! I still can't believe you let those hyenas surround you Lee! What have I told you about thinking before acting?"

"I had to make sure Kiara got away. The last thing I wanted to do was cause you more pain, but I had to put Kiara before myself."

All she did was sigh heavily before walking away. At the same time Rafiki had finished healing my wounds and walked out of Pride Rock. It was just Kiara, Tiifu, Zuri and I currently resting together on the platform. Kiara's ears fell flat as her lip started to quiver. It's not like she meant for it to come out like Nala thought.

"I take it you never got around to apologizing to Nala while I was gone?" I asked

"No, I didn't. How could I after what I said? And ever since I came back without you, mom would barely even look at me. I really screwed up this time, my mom hates me!"

I held my arms out, "Come here."

She dove into my embrace, digging her face into my chest as she cried out all the emotions she had kept bottled up since she found out that Nala was pregnant. Tiifu and Zuri quickly followed her lead and joined us in the hug. They both nuzzled Kiara, while hugged all three of them.

"Nala doesn't hate you." I assured her, "She's just still getting over the shock of me coming back. It was a scary thing for her to go through. Just like it was for you."

"I guess you're right." She agreed.

"However, that doesn't change what you have to do."

Her ears flattened at the thought, "What do I say to her?"

"Just tell her the truth, that you're sorry."

She sighed, "Okay."

"What did you want to tell me?"

Nala stood behind us with a confused look on her face. Kiara's head fell when Nala locked eyes on her. I gently prodded her forward, and she started walking towards our mother. Each step could be heard throughout the room. When she did get right in front of Nala, she slowly looked her in the eye. A single tear slid down her face as she finally spoke to her.

"I'm sorry." She squeaked

In one swift motion, Nala pulled Kiara close to her and nuzzled the top of her head. Kiara cried into her fur as Nala continued to coddle her, all the while the girls and I just watched form were we lay. After one last lick to the top of her head, Nala lifted Kiara's chin so she could look her in the eye.

"Baby, I know that having a little brother or sister is a lot to take in, but it's nothing to be afraid of. Even if we start loving another cub, that doesn't any of us will love you any less."

A small smile spread across Kiara's face, "Really?"

"Not ever." She assured. "And hey, I'm sorry I snapped at you when you came back without Lee, and again just now I was just scared we had lost him."

"its okay mom, you didn't mean it."

With one last nuzzle, they both made their way back to platform with the rest of us. Nala got behind me and nuzzled Tiifu, Zuri and I before lying down behind me, allowing me to lean against her. We all lied together just enjoying each other's company when Zazu came flying in.

"Greetings royal family." He said with a bow.

"Good morning Zazu," Nala greeted

"Hello Zazu." I said

"Hi Zazu." The girls greeted.

"I have been sent to inform you that Simba, Sarabi and Sarafina are on their way back from their evening hunt, they should be back shortly."

"Oh great, I'm starving." Zuri said.

A sudden grunt from Nala brought us all to attention. Nala suddenly was clutching her stomach in pain. All three of the girls looked instantly terrified, not knowing what was wrong with her. But I knew instantly what this meant.

"Zazu, fly as fast as you can in the direction of Rafiki's tree, tell him to come back here as fast as he can, the baby's coming!"

"At once sire!" he said.

"What, now?" Kiara asked.

"Looks like it." I told her.

With a pained groan, Nala laid flat on her side. The girls slowly backed away, wanting to give her room. I cradled her head in my arms, just like I did with Kiara's birth. She cried with every breath she took. They got so loud and agonizing, the girls started to cry along with her. Rafiki did eventually did make his way into the den and calmly asked us to wait outside. With that I took the girls and waited for our brother or sister to come into the world.

Simba and our grandmothers made their way up to Pride Rock in a sprint; their fresh kills still riding on their backs. Simba immediately dropped his gazelle and ran inside to be with his mate, while Sarabi and Sarafina made their way over to us. They took over comforting the girls, giving me time to impatiently pace the stone floor. Nala cries of agony could be heard from all the way outside. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped. We all froze where we stood, not hearing a sound from inside the cave. Rafiki made his way out, he didn't look up at first. The amount of blood on his hands really made my stomach turn. He stopped until he was right in front of me; still not looking up.

"Well, how is she?" I asked.

Slowly looking up from the ground, he slowly formed that same crazed smile he always wore.

"It's a boy." He said, "And both he and the mother are fine."

We all bolted inside, to find Nala resting beside Simba with a small bundle between her paws. Simba stepped down and came towards us with a wide smile spread across his face. I couldn't help but form a grin myself when I saw him.

"Children, come meet your new brother."

At first he had his head tucked under Nala's leg. With a soft nudge by his mother, the cub did turn to face us. We were instantly awestruck by his cute baby face, with the young eyes of both his father and grandmother Sarabi. Even more adorable, he had the smallest patch of a red mane on the top of his head.

"Aww, he looks like a tiny Simba." Zuri cooed.

"Yeah, he does." I agreed

He suddenly shifted his front paws, and to all our amazement, slowly started to stand. We all watched in amazement as he slowly put one paw in front of the other as he made his way down the platform. Nala looked both amazed and terrified at her cub's accomplishment. She nearly had a minor stroke when he lost his footing and fell flat on his stomach. Simba made his way over to him, and gently nudged him back on his feet. The cub looked up at the gigantic version of him, and smiled. Simba shared the smile before fallowing his son as he walked around his home.

"Kion" Rafiki said

I turned to him, "What did you say."

"Kion, it means leader that is what the cubs name will be."

"Kion," I repeated, "that's a good name."

(Two Month Later)

A young laugh brought me out of my slumber. This particular laugh was one I knew by heart. I closed my eyes in an attempt to make it seem like I was still asleep. Small paws made their way up my back as the culprit giggled again. Hot breath ran up my neck as the cub tried to bite my ear.

"Gotcha" I cried

I reached out and grabbed my little brother by the scruff and tickled his stomach. His laugh heightened in pitch as I continued my assault on him. Kion tried desperately to squirm away, only for me to tighten my grip on his stomach.

"Come on Kion; just say mercy and I'll let you go!"

"Hahaha, Bu- Bunga, help!" he cried

Zuka Zama!"

Before I knew what was happening, a small bunch of fur landed on the back of my neck. Knowing instantly it was Kion honey badger friend Bunga. His blue paws covered my eyes as he and Kion both tried to tackle me to the ground. All it took was me reaching back and grabbing Bunga for the attack to stop. Kion slowly started to back away as I rose to my feet and started slowly stalking towards him.

"You're mine now." I assured him.

"Am I interrupting something?" called a voice from the entrance.

Kion looked up with pure glee, "Grandma Sarabi, save me."

All she did was laugh as her youngest grandson ran up and crouched between the safety of her legs.

"Hey, no fair, you can't bring the adults in here to protect you!" I said

"I was actually looking for you, Lee." My grandmother said.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked with a frown

"Ooohhh, somebody's in trouble." Kion teased.

"No," Sarabi said, looking down at Kion with a glare, "I talked to your parents, and I need you to come with me for a short journey."

"Really?"

"Journey, can I come too grandma?" Kion begged

She frowned, "I'm sorry sweetheart, but you're still too little to travel with me this far away from home."

"Awww, Grandma!" He whined, looking like he was about to cry. He always was heartbroken when he got left out of any seemingly fun activity, especially if it involved either of our grandmothers. Just like me, he was a bit of a grandma's boy, and cherished every moment he could with both of them.

"There there, ssshhh, how about this; when Lee and I get back tomorrow, you and I can go swimming in Big Springs together. Maybe we can meet up with your friend Beshte. How does that sound?" She tried.

Kion raised his eyebrows, "You promise?"

"I promise." She repeated.

"Here," I said, "Why don't you and Bunga go play outside."

With one last nuzzle for both of us, Kion and Bunga kicked a small piece of fruit out the entrance of the cave and fallowed it. When they were out of site, I turned back to Sarabi.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked.

"I can't tell you, you'll just have to wait and see."

Ten miles into the walk, we finally came across a large tree in the middle of a field. It wasn't as hard a walk as some of the others in my time here because I traveled relatively light; carrying with me only my spear and my python. When Simba saw us leaving Pride Rock, he tried to convince me to take more weapons. However, Sarabi assured me that she would let anything bad happen to me. Despite still being skeptical, Simba agreed to let us go.

The sight we came upon was a small stone under the tree. It was like one of those beautiful rocks that decorated the Big Springs in the Pride Lands. There also seemed to be some kind of writing on the stone, but it sure as heck wasn't English. Sarabi came forward with a small bouquet of flowers in her mouth. She carefully set the down in front of the stone before lowering her head and closing her eyes, almost as if she were trying to pray. And that's when it hit me.

"Who's buried here?" I asked.

She didn't look up, "My late mate, Mufasa."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I have come to piece with it long ago, I just wanted to finally show you where he is, so you may visit him if you like."

"I kind of already met him, once." I admitted.

She finally looked up, "Really, when?"

"It was in a dream when I was still unconscious after my dad shot me. He saw everything that happened to me so far. And even though I practically begged him to take me with him to wherever he went, thinking that my family would be there too, he wouldn't do it. When I asked him why, he said I still had a part to play in the circle of life, and that I still had all of you to watch out for me."

"And he was right. That sounds like something my Mufasa would say."

"He must have been really smart. Hell, he had to be if he chose you for his wife."

She chuckled before nuzzling me, "And I know he would have loved you too Lee, do you know why?"

"Because you do." I said.

"That's right." She assured.

"Oh, how touching this is."

We both shot up to come face to face with Zira. She still had that big, razor toothy grin on her face, like she had just struck gold. Whipping out my python, I pulled the hammer back and stood protectively over Sarabi.

"Leave now and you won't get hurt. Which, judging from your history with this family is more merciful than you deserve!" I shouted.

She laughed, "Oh, foolish boy, do you honestly think I would come up against you by myself?"

At that moment, lionesses just seemed to sprout out from nowhere. All of them shred Zira's malnourished body, as well as dirty fur and murderous glares. In all, there had to be at least fifteen of them.

"How many bullets does that one gun of yours have, human?" Zira asked, "Maybe six? As soon as it empties, you die."

My body froze at the realization of the situation. She was right, even with my improved fighting skills; we most likely wouldn't make it out of this. Hyenas were one thing; these lions had twice the strength and speed. They wouldn't go down as easy. Even with that, I wasn't letting them touch Sarabi.

"I warned you Zira." Sarabi said, "That if you threaten my grandson again, I would kill you."

"Oh, try it and you will be torn to pieces before you touch me."

"You're a coward!" Sarabi shouted.

Zira's eyes flared with rage, "What did you call me?"

"You hide behind your followers, expecting them to protect you; never actually getting your own paws dirty."

"Do you want me to end you right here Sarabi?" She threatened.

"Don't even think about it!" I shouted.

"You know you couldn't win!" Sarabi countered

"Do you want to bet?" Zira asked.

"When I win, the rest of your Pride lets us leave." Sarabi stated

"And when I win, we will feast on both of you."

"Lee,." Sarabi ordered in a dark tone, "Get behind me."

"Grandma, don't"

"Do as I say!" she snapped.

I begrudgingly did as she said. The two of them circled each other, debating on when to make the first strike. The rest of Zira's Pride surrounded us in a circle type formation. It was Zira who made the first move, lunging forward with an impressive speed. Sarabi somehow managed to dodge and struck Zira in the face. The force from the blow sent the outlander flying across the dirt. Man, I was way off on how strong she was. Yet, despite getting hit with the force of a sledge hammer Zira still got back up.

She once again tried to jump on top of Sarabi, only for her to once again get knocked to the ground. I almost smiled at how easily Zira was getting knocked around. But she still tried to just rush Sarabi head on. I didn't notice why until it was too late. Zira was backing Sarabi into another lioness, one who took the opportunity to bite down hard on Sarabi's shoulder. With a cry of pain, she smacked the other female hard, but Zira tackled her. Once on top, she proceeded to deliver countless strikes on Sarabi. Rage shot through me like a bolt of lightning.

"No," I cried,"Stop, that's not fair!"

"Don't Lee."Sarabi ordered.

I didn't listen. I ran forward and smacked Zira with my spear, hard. But all it seemed to do was piss her off. She slowly started walking towards me, with a look like she wanted to rip my throat out. Sarabi told her not to touch me. Zira dove on top of me, pinning my spear against my chest as well as holding my arms down with her front legs. I couldn't move. That smile creped across her face as she realized she had me.

"Say hello to your brother Kopa, please."

With one last breath, I shut my eyes. But, nothing happened. At first, I thought she was considering not killing me, but I looked up just in time to see her face change from one of victory to one of agony. Then I saw Sarabi, who had her teeth on the back of Zira's neck, and using a strength that I didn't know she had, tossed Zira across the ring. Then ran forward and placed her paw and Zira's throat.

"I said don't touch MY GRANDSON!" Sarabi boomed

With one last roar, Sarabi delivered the final blow. That being viciously biting Zira's throat and tearing out chunks of her skin. With one last breath of gurgling blood, Zira slowly slipped away. Sarabi heaved out breaths of rage as she stood over Zira's body with blood dripping from her mouth. She scanned the others who were now staring at their dead leader. They slowly started to move forward, they were going to kill us anyway. I pulled out my gun while my grandmother roared in rage while standing in front of me protectively. This was nothing like the Sarabi I had grown to love. With the blood, the fresh, bloody wounds, and the crazed look in her eye, she seemed like a creature that only wanted to kill.

"Stop!" A voice roared.

They all did. Looking in the direction of the voice, all I saw was the silhouette of a male lion. I couldn't get that good a look at him; he was too far away and still surrounded by females.

"Zira had an agreement with Sarabi. And she lost, let's go."

With one last nod towards Sarabi, the male lead them away. It was as if they were gone it less than thirty seconds. With an exhausted sigh, Sarabi collapsed against me. Her breathing became soft and quiet, and she had trouble keeping her head up. I tried to carry her, but her cries of pain at me trying to lift her up made me abandon that idea. All I could do was lay her down and try to treat her myself. I tried soaking up the blood with my shirt, but each time I tried, only more started to pour out.

"You can't be losing this much blood" I cried.

"Poor Kion." She said in a barely audible whisper.

"No offense grandma, but we need to worry about you right now."

"I won't be able to take him to Big Springs like I promised."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

All she did was give me a look. And in that moment, everything around me seemed to slow down. No, this isn't happening! I can just go get Rafiki and he'll fix everything. He always does. She's not dying here, I won't let her!

"Listen to me, you are going to take him, I'll go get Rafiki and he'll fix you up."

She shook her head, "I'll be gone by the time you get back."

"No," I begged, "Grandma, please."

"ssshh, it's okay." She assured me with a nuzzle.

I fell against her and sobbed so hard, nothing came out. It's as if my heart had been pulled out of my chest and set on fire, but I could still feel it. Despite being in extreme pain and on the brink of death, she still found it in her to make me okay. Constantly nuzzling and licking me, like she always had.

"It's my fault, Simba was right, I should have brought more weapons. They wouldn't have come after us than."

"I was the one who told Simba to let us leave; none of this is your fault. You have brought me so much joy, a kind I never thought I would have again after the death of Kopa. But you brought it back; do not ever forget that, do you understand me?"

I only nodded with tears in my eyes. A pained breath from her made me search in my brain for something to do, but I came up short.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

All she did was look down, fallowing her gaze; I saw she was looking at my python.

"No. I can't do that. When I get back and they all see that I shot you, when Simba sees that I shot you, what am I going to tell them?"

"You could tell them it was a kindness you did for your grandmother that you loved, they won't blame you. But I won't ask you to."

"Hey, look at that." I said, gently turning her over.

What we saw was a breathtaking sunset one that was a breathtaking purple. I was the outline of a smile across her muzzle.

"I love you grandma"

….

….

….

 **Bang!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey everyone, this chapter is much shorter than my previous one. Also, I noticed I got a lot of angry reviews about Ch.21. Now I know I obviously can't please everyone and there are some who will disagree or hate some ideas, let me break down what that chapter was about. Some were angry at how Banzai was executed by Lee. They think it was too gritty and savage. Well, here's the thing guys, that was the point. It was to prove Lee would do anything to protect his family when pushed over the edge. And you have to admit, only killing one of them showed a push in the right direction. That he is actually trying to head Rafiki's teachings. Other's think it was too harsh for Lee to actually shoot Sarabi, one of only two grandparent figures he's ever had. However, I made it perfectly clear that there was no way she was going to survive. And if you think this makes Lee a heartless monster for granting one of his cherished loved ones a merciful death, your wrong. What Lee did in that moment was a love driven act of kindness; something that took all his strength and will power to do. Finally, we get to the biggest complaint of the last chapter. That being, that I turned Banzai into a pedophile. Yeah, I won't sugarcoat it, that's what I did. In many ways, I can see how this would bother people who grew up loving the original Lion King character. This probably did catch you off guard. But in all fairness you guys, I DID tell you in previous chapters that this story would take some relatively darker turns. For those of you who think it's too dark, I respect your decision/ opinion. And for those who think I ruined this story and have no right to write anymore, I only say this is my story, if you don't like it, go write your own or find another if you don't like what I have to offer. To those of you who haven't totally forsaken me for last chapter and still want to hear Lee's story, thanks for your support, and I will try to not disappoint! Without further a dew, here is Chapter 22!**

(Kion's POV)

An overwhelming sense of excitement began to well up inside me as I awaited the return of my grandma and my brother. Although I was still slightly upset that I couldn't go with them to wherever they were going, the promise of spending quality time with grandma Sarabi quickly put an end to my sorrow. Now it was just the waiting that was the hard part.

Bunga and I did manage to stay busy for a while after they left, but his Uncle Timon and Uncle Pumba eventually called him back home at Hakuna Matata Falls. Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri had to practice hunting with Grandma Sarafina and mom this afternoon, and dad was out on patrol. At times like these, I really only wanted to be with one person, Lee.

I can't even count all the things that make my brother so awesome. Maybe it was his titanic stature, being able to tower over even dad, and he could lift large objects with almost no effort. Also his easygoing and carefree personality; almost nothing bothered him. Even when the girls and I misbehaved whenever he was watching us, he rarely ever raised his voice. The one thing that really makes him the best big brother ever is, he always makes time for us. If he just got back from hunting all day long, he would just shrug it off and play tag with the girls and me until we got called in for dinner.

He was also the one I felt safest with. And that is saying a lot with the family I have. This one time when I was only three moons old, I wondered away from Pride Rock in the middle of the night. Eventually, I stumbled across a pack of jackals that wanted to eat me for dinner. Imagine being surrounded by terrifying creatures with razor sharp teeth and blood red eyes. And that they are all twice your size. Unbelievable amounts of fear spread through my tiny body as I closed my eyes; waiting for the inevitable. But it never came.

I looked up to see what was stalling them, only to be met with terrified eyes looking up. Fallowing their gaze, I was met with a furious looking Lee, staring daggers at my attackers.

"If any of you touch my brother, you'll have to deal with me." He stated in a deep, menacing tone.

They all scattered when he commanded them to leave. Lee embraced me in a loving hug when I started to cry. He shushed me and promised he would never let anything happen to me. I rode on his shoulder the entire walk home, and I felt as safe as at home in mom's paws.

A sight in the distance brought me out of my daydream. It looked like a tall figure carrying another on its shoulders. Further inspection proved it to be Lee, and he was carrying grandma Sarabi. Oh, was she asleep? Now I'll have to wait until tomorrow to go to Big Springs! Dad and all the girls were making their way up Pride Rock's slope just before Lee did. He gently place Grandma at his feet and kneeled down beside her. Something in his eyes made me think something was wrong. Dad told me to stay with the girls while he checked on Lee.

Everything was quiet at the beginning. I could see Lee's mouth moving, but he was talking so low I couldn't make anything out. Dad suddenly took a jump back and looked down at Grandma. With one last look up, and a slight nod from my brother, my dad exploded.

"No!" he cried, "No! No! No!"

He ran down the slope of Pride Rock as fast as he ran up it. We all stared in shock as dad ran way passed the boundaries of Pride Rock. Lee didn't look to where dad was running, all he did was slowly rise from his knees and walk into the cave. I walked closer to Grandma, careful not to scare her awake. Nudging the back of her head softly, I talked in a gentle whisper.

"Grandma?" I asked.

She didn't say anything. I could hear Mom and Grandma Sarafina whisper something to each other. Deciding I didn't try hard enough, I nudged Grandma Sarabi's head slightly harder.

"Grandma?" I tried again, "Are you sleepy?"

"Kion sweetie, why don't you help Grandma Sarafina with taking in dinner? I can get Grandma Sarabi." Mom said.

"But I want to go to Big Springs with Granma like she-"I froze

Directly right between her eyes, was a hole as big around as one of Lee's fingers. Blood covered a large portion of her eyes and face. Uncountable amounts of claw marks littered her body, as if she had been in a fight. But that hole could only be from one thing, Lee's gun.

How could Lee shoot our grandma? He loved her just as much as the rest of us. And he shot her in the head! It was like someone had stomped on my heart right in front of me. The creature that ended my grandma's life was my brother, my hero.

Mom pulled me in close and nuzzled me, telling me not to look. Footsteps could be heard from the entrance of Pride Rock. Mom looked up from nuzzling me and gasped in shock. I barely had the courage to look up at him; for fear that he might have done something bad to himself. What I saw made my jaw drop to the floor.

"Lee," I cried, "What did you do to your hair?"

What once was my brother's long, silky main like my father's was now reduced to a small patch of brown fuzz on the top of his head. He clutched a metal abject in his hand; it looked shiny and sharp. He never answered my question; he just walked closer to us and looked down at the both of us. The look in his eyes wasn't one of fear, anger, or even sadness. He just looked blank.

"I'm going hunting." Was all he said before descending the slope and out of sight.

 **A/N: Terribly sorry for the relatively short chapter, but I want to try and build up to something amazing in the next couple of chapters. And if you guys hate that Lee lost one of his biggest icons, his hair, I wanted to have him go through a physical change to fit his personality change. How will Lee and the rest of the family deal with the death of Sarabi? Will Kion blame his biggest role model for his Grandmother's death? Most importantly, has Lee gone off the deep end? Tune in next chapter to find out! Catch you all later!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Something really big goes on in this chapter, but I can't really hint at what it is without giving it away. So just sit back and enjoy chapter 23!**

The Pride Land's human prince walked for miles without a destination. He barely spoke to his family to tell them he was going hunting, but he never intended to catch anything. Crickets could be heard chirping alongside the frogs who would croak while lounging on logs. Hard to believe, but the night can be just as noisy as the day in this kingdom.

All of it was unbeknownst to Lee as he trudged on through the African tall grass. Barely picking up his feet, almost walking in a zombie like motion. His eyes never moved from looking straight ahead. Slowly brining his canteen up to his lips, he took a large swig of the liquid that he filled it with before leaving Pride Rock. He was finally starting to realize why his father was so addicted to this stuff. A small hiccup escaped his lips as the buzz from the whiskey spread through his body.

He killed her, shot his own grandmother without a second thought. The look on Simba's face when he told him, one of horror that would haunt Lee forever. Just the thought of the event forced Lee to take another drink. This one has too large, however, and a portion of it was spat out of his mouth. In truth, Lee only said he was going hunting as an excuse to get out of there. As much as he wanted to comfort and be comforted by his family during this time of lose, he knew right now he needed to be alone.

Lee found a small river and sat down with only a small sigh. A monkey screeched out in a nearby tree. It would make any other creature jump five feet in the air, Lee didn't move. The sounds of the night never even found his ears. They were already filled with this high pitched ringing, almost like he had been standing next to a tornado siren for hours on end.

His shaky hand brought up his canteen for a third drink as he leaned against a rock. While his other reached to his side and pulled out his python. An unsteady breath escaped his lips as he thought back to the family he had grown to love that was waiting for him back at the second home he ever knew. The more he thought about them, the more he wished he had fallowed his instincts and left the Pride Lands long ago. Because of him, now all of his little siblings are without one of their grandmothers. Lee knows deep down they would never blame him, but he always would.

Pulling the hammer back with his thumb, he started to wonder what it would be like if he never came here. Nala would have never been shot if he and his family had stayed out of Africa. She may have made it back to Simba on her own, and raised Kiara without her ever being in danger. The girls probably would have been found just as easily without him, and Kion would have been more careful without Lee to constantly stand over him. Most of all Sarabi would have never taken Lee to Mufasa's grave and sacrificed her for him. It all would have been much better for the Pride Lands if Lee just died with his family.

They would miss him at first; there is no question about it. The memories and good times he shared with them had been wonderful; and Lee knew it would be difficult for them to except his passing. Some might think it was cruel and selfish for him to want to leave his family like this, especially seeing as how they just lost another loved one not even a full day ago. However, what some might see as selfish, Lee saw as selflessness. If he is gone, Simba and the pride would be at less risk of getting in danger.

With one final drink, Lee slowly raised the pistol up until it was under his chin. A single tear finally escaped his eyes as he did so.

'Everyone,' he thought, 'I'm sorry.'

"Prince Lee!" called a voice that finally broke Lee out of his haze.

The sudden voice caused Lee to actually jump in surprise as his pulse sky rocketed. He quickly took his finger off the trigger as he turned to see the animal that addressed him. Rafiki made his way down the tree he lived in and started walking towards the distraught prince. Lee only turned away from him as he put his pistol on the ground next to his spear. If he was going to do what he planned, he didn't want Rafiki to have to witness it. No matter how far gone he already was from this world, he wasn't going to let his former master be traumatized for life.

"What might you be doing out here this late at night? Your family must be worried sick about you. Come now, let Rafiki walk you home."

The Shaman placed his hand on Lee's shoulder; only for the young man to gently but swiftly pull away in anger. Rafiki stared back at the prince in surprise never before had he acted so coldly to anyone. Looking down, he than noticed the small weapon know as a pistol on the ground next to his spear Rafiki had taught him to use. From what Lee had once told him about these tools it looked like the gun was ready to fire. And yet, there was no prey in sight to take down.

Rafiki spoke again, "And what, may Rafiki ask, were you planning on doing with that gun?"

Not a word from Lee. He just looked on with that same blank stare. Rafiki got in front of him with a frightened expression and cupped Lee's face in his hand. Desperately trying to reach the once joy filled young man he grew to love. To his horror, Lee's eyes were as dark as the night sky, and wouldn't move when Rafiki waved his hand in front of his face.

"Lee, King Simba told Rafiki what happened. And Rafiki is very sorry to hear about your Grandmother Sarabi."

Then, without warning, Lee sprang to his feet and swung his spear at Rafiki's head. Rafiki barely had time to dodge the attack before a second was swung at his feet. That attack hit its mark, and Rafiki came crashing in the dirt. His former apprentice raised the spear above his head, ready to swing the blunt end down. All the while never seeing what was right in front of him. With his head still a foggy haze and his heart shattered; he felt nothing more than pain and rage. And he finally found someone to take it out on.

 **A/N: Some of you may think that this chapter was way against Lee's over all character in the story so far. And once again, if you have problems or disagree with the events of this chapter, be civil about it please. Shouting at me isn't going to help much. And in all honesty, it is totally out of character for Lee to act this way, but keep in mind that, losing someone you're close to can sometimes change you. And sometimes sadly, it's not for the better. Never the less, Lee still has a loving family to go back to, will he go back? Tune in next chapter and find out.**


	24. Chapter 24

(Sarafina's POV)

I stared out into the horizon as the sun started to peak out over the Savanna. Lee had never come home last night, and the entire family was worried sick. Nala and I were trying our best to comfort the children, but I had a harder time still excepting what had occurred yesterday. My childhood best friend was gone forever. Sarabi was my sister in every sense of the word. We both grew up under the rule of Mufasa's father, Ahadi, and had been each other brides maids at our weddings. Even when Sarabi had lost both Mufasa and Simba, she still managed to be the same loving, caring lioness I always loved and respected.

"Grandma?" a voice called me.

I turned to see Kion standing behind me; fresh streaks of tears still sliding down his face. Immediately, I pulled him close to me, which he didn't hesitate or resist against. All he did was bury his face in my fur and weep. Though I did manage to keep a straight face, it took all I had not to cry along with him. The one being I thought could somewhat heal our pain was out doing who knows what with almost all of his hair gone. Despite his relatively young age, Lee was always able to make any form of sorrow disappear. The simple act of just walking up next to you would send a wave of happiness over you that took away the sorrow if only for a short while.

The thought of Lee made me remember one specific time he was there for me. It wasn't a terrible ordeal that I had to go through, but he was their anyway.

It all started on a particularly bad morning, at least for me anyway. All of the children were at Hakuna Matata Falls playing with Simba and Nala, Sarabi was talking with Lee, and I still didn't want to get up. When I eventually did try, I only groaned and clutched my stomach in pain. My friend and Grandson came to my side at an instant, asking me what was wrong.

"My stomach, it hurts so much." I cried.

Not a second later, I vomited up everything that we had eaten last night. The pain in my stomach only increased after that. Lee cradled my head and comforted me as Sarabi ran to get Zazu. The feel of him stroking my face with his large, soft hands brought a sense of delight in my time of sorrow. He continued doing this and cooing to me while Rafiki made his way in and started checking me. My grandson only left to get water for me to drink.

"Rafiki has good news and bad news." Our shaman assured.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is merely a small virus in your system, very common this time of year. I advise you stay away from the cubs until it goes away. Rafiki knows of a remedy that can take it away in a few hours. The bad news is, one of the key ingredients is in the backlands. This is Makucha's territory. "

Lee looked puzzled, "Who's Makucha?"

Sarabi answered, "He is a leopard that makes a habit out of causing chaos anywhere he goes. Make no mistake my grandson; this is one predator that is much more threatening than a few hyenas. He even got the best of both Sarafina and I and made off with one of our kills before you came to live with us."

I turned back to Rafiki, "What can I do if we don't have the ingredient?"

He frowned, "Then we have no choice but wait until it stops which may take two to three days at the least."

Without hesitation, Lee stood up with his spear in hand; that classic look of determination on his face.

"Name what I need to find, I'll be back before sundown." He said.

"No! Lee, you don't know how dangerous he is." I told him.

"I can take care of myself grandma, you know that" he assured.

"Sweetheart, please don't do this. I can take a few days of this, but I can't stand the thought of loosing you! It's not worth it. Promise me you won't go looking for the ingredient." I begged.

He sighed, "Okay fine, I promise I won't get the ingredient. But if you ever need anything, tell me and I'll be right on it."

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you sweetie."

He smiled, "Always."

He kissed me before running out to get me more water. Rafiki instructed me to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. After telling me he would be back in a few hours to check on me, he bid us farewell and left Pride Rock. Sarabi stayed with me as I eventually fell back asleep with the pain in my stomach never ceasing.

(Lee's POV)

My grandmother's pained groans as she slept haunted me even by the peak of Pride Rock. I paced the slope, considering what else I could do to ease her pain. Rafiki made his way down the slope and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You are troubled." He said.

"Yeah, I know I told her I wouldn't go, but I don't want her to hurt anymore." I said.

He leaned in, "If you were, hypothetically speaking, going to look for what you needed anyway; it is a red berry that grows on trees that only grow in the Backlands."

I stared back at him, "Are you telling me to do it anyway?"

He didn't say anything, just winked at me. In its own way, that was an obvious 'yes'. I wore a smirk as I spoke again.

"You know, if Sarafina finds out you helped me in this dangerous situation, she'll have your ass for it."

He raised his eyebrows, "And she won't have yours along with it?"

"I'm her grandson, the worst she'll do as yell at me. If I were you, I would stay as far away from her as soon as she's well enough to hunt again." I joked

"Did you forget who taught you the way of Aikido? If she tries anything, she will have quit the opponent."

My eyes narrowed, "Careful friend."

Rafiki laughed as he made his way down Pride Rock's slope. He just about reached the bottom before turning back and calling to me.

"And Lee, tell Sarafina she is very lucky."

"Why?"

"To have a grandson like you, of course."

The walk to the Backlands luckily didn't take more than twenty minutes. And even better luck, I found a tree that was littered with the barriers Rafiki described. Just when I was about to make my way up the tree, a leopard straight out of Hell pounced off the tallest branch and landed right in front of me. He had a light yellow coat, with dark brown spots and emerald green eyes. His razor sharp teeth which he was still baring at me looked like they could tear through steel, and he had claws that looked almost as long and sharp as Simba's.

"Hello, I take it your Makucha?" I asked him.

"What do you want, Pride Lander?" He hissed back. His voice sounded like he had been gargling broken glass all his life. It definitely fits his image. My surprise to his voice must have shown, because his face broke into a devilish grin.

I tried again, "Please, I need to get those berries for my grandmother. She's sick."

"I know you; you're the human prince of the Pride Lands. So, which one of the old hags isn't feeling to good, huh?"

Biting back a swear, I answered, "Sarafina, the queen's mother. You understand why I need to do this."

"Yeah, but I don't share my barriers, go get your own!"

I frowned, "I thought leopards were carnivores."

"We are, but I won't say no to a good berry every now and again. Once again, go get you own!"

I sighed and started walking to another tree close by, only for Makucha to run past me and block my path. Narrowing my eyes, I turned away from him and tried for another tree a few feet behind his. Sadly, Makucha didn't show any signs of letting up as he blocked my path to that one as well. Having enough, I tried one last time to reason with him.

"Don't do this to me, I don't want to fight."

"Tell me human, are you scared?" he asked.

"I am, just not of you."

He snarled, "Oh really?"

"I'm afraid for my grandmother, she's sick and hurting and I need to help her, so get out of my way!" I demanded.

He crouched, looking like he was about to pounce. I raised my spear in a striking positing before speaking again.

"You have two choices; you either allow me to take some of these berries to help a sick member of the royal family. Its good karma and I will personally owe you a favor. Otherwise, you can get in my way again and take your ass beating like a dumb guy."

He responded by lunging out at me. I was ready, and dodged with little effort. He was quicker than I thought, however, because before I could whip him with my spear he ran right under me and knocked me on my butt. I didn't even have time to get up before he was on top of me. With only my spear to defend me from his terrifying bite, I never saw his paw coming down. I let out a cry as a sharp pain erupted on my right arm.

With a final cry, I pushed with everything I had and sent him flying and landing a few feet away from me. Just as I got back to my feet, so did he. I was the one to jump on him this time, pinning him down with my weight and spear. Although I know I could easily just raise my spear and stab him in the head, something made me hesitate. Before he could overpower me, I picked up a stone next to us and knocked him on the head with it. Checking his pulse, I realized he was still alive, but would wake up with one hell of a headache.

"You're not worth it." I said.

After grabbing all the berries I could carry in my pockets, I ran as fast as I could back to Pride Rock.

(Sarafina's POV)

I woke up for the third time in five hours with my stomach screaming in agony. Feeling Sarabi nuzzle me, I looked to the direction of an all too familiar humming to see Rafiki preparing several bowls filled with varies liquids and spices.

"What's all this?" I asked.

Rafiki smiled, "Your medicine of course."

I frowned, "I thought you couldn't do it without…"

With one look from Rafiki, an unbelievable amount of rage welled up in my chest. Oh, just wait until I get my paws on that grandson of mine! He promised me he wouldn't do this! I roared softly before snapping at Rafiki.

"How could you let him do this? If he comes back with a scratch on him, I'll do it to you tenfold! And that will be child's play when I deal with Lee! Sometimes I worry about that boy."

Rafiki frowned, "Having to watch you suffer was too much for him to bare. If and when you do punish him, keep in mind what he did was out of an unconditional love for you."

My temper briefly softened at Rafiki's words, but it only lasted for five minutes before the main culprit came strolling into the cave with a grin of victory on his face and a gaping bloody wound on his shoulder. That smile was quickly replaced with a look of fear when we locked eyes. He silently handed Rafiki the berries before facing both Sarabi and I. A small smile dared to cross over his face.

"Hi." He said.

"Sit." I demanded.

He did, not daring to make eye contact.

I turned to Sarabi, "Could you please give us a few minutes alone?"

She gently pushed Rafiki out of the cave, giving Lee a disapproved look as she walked past him. I remained silent while debating how to deal with this issue. I did take in the account that he did this for me; but I was still disappointed that he broke his promise to stay home. Finally, I decided to just voice how I felt.

"Lee, I am very disappointed in you." I scolded.

He bit back a sob, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't say a word young man; you broke a promise to me! It's true, I was hurting from this sickness, but I told you I could handle it. I would be crushed if I lost you. After losing Kopa, I never thought I could ever love anyone else like I loved him. That all changed when you came into my life. I will not lose another grandchild in this life, do you hear me?"

He nodded.

"Answer me!"

"Yes, I understand you." He cried.

After a long pause and a sigh, I spoke again.

"Good, now please tell Rafiki to give me my medicine so I can nuzzle you."

His head shot up in surprise, and with a final nod, he ran to get our Shaman. The medicine tasted sweet, like the berries Lee brought home. Sarabi told us she would be going hunting, but Lee was quick to stop her.

"Why is that Lee?" Sarabi asked

He smiled sheepishly before running out and returning seconds later with a gazelle on his shoulders. A smile as bright as the sun spread across my face as he placed it our feet.

"I kind of guessed you would be mad at me when I got back. So I thought I would try and soften you up brining home dinner." He said.

"Well, gazelle is my favorite." I said

Sarabi and I ate in glee while Rafiki made his way out. We were so caught up in our feasting; we almost didn't notice Lee hadn't touched it yet. There was still a look of sadness on his features, which only got worse when he finally met my eyes. He seemed to understand what I was thinking, as he answered my unasked question.

"I thought you wouldn't want me to eat for what I did today."

"Eat some." I told him.

He looked confused, "Why?"

"Because I said so."

Without a second thought, he built a fire and started cooking up a large chunk of meat. We all finished about the same time, and sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally wanting to take part in one of my favorite night time activities, I called my grandson over to me. He snuggled up against me as Sarabi lay at his side, so we were facing each other. I began humming the same song he loved, and almost got him to fall asleep, but something came to me that I wasn't sure of.

"Lee?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Why did you feel the need to get the berries anyway? You know my life wasn't in danger, but you put your own life in danger to make me get out of being sick. There has got to be another reason."

He looked up at me, "Seeing you that way, even if you weren't dying, broke my heart. And if there was something I could do to help make you better, I knew I had to do it. Even if it wasn't what you wanted, and even if I did wound up getting another scar from it. To see you healthy again would have been worth it. That's what I told myself when I was fighting Makucha, and when I came home and saw how pissed off you were."

"Watch your tongue mister." I warned him

"Sorry, but I knew I told myself if I could do something about it, I had to. Because I know you would have done the same for me. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, or anyone else in this family, my family."

Now it was my turn to cry. Tears spilled from my eyes as I lovingly nuzzled my grandson. Sarabi Also nuzzled Lee, and he hugged us both as tears filled his eyes as well. I eventually asked if he wanted me to start sinning again, then he turned to Sarabi.

"Can you sing grandma Sarabi?"

She smiled, "Never as good as Sarafina, I assure you."

"Oh, what are you talking about? You are just as good as me and you know it." I told her

"Can you please both sing to me?" he asked.

With one last glance at each other, my sister and I started sinning in union. Sarabi's relatively deeper voice matched perfectly with my softer voice, so much so that it actually brought tears to Lee's eyes as he slowly drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

Afterword, we just laid there, staring out our human grandchild. With a final tear of upmost joy, I turned to Sarabi who hadn't taken her eyes off Lee.

"How did we ever get so lucky with a grandson like this, my sister?" I asked her.

Not looking up, she answered with a smile, "Only the Great Kings can answer that question."

(Present)

"Grandma, GRANDMA!" Kion shouted.

I snapped out of my daydream, "Sorry, sweetheart, what's the matter?"

Kion sniffled, "Why did Lee shoot Grandma Sarabi?"

I sighed, "I'll be honest Kion, I don't know. But I do know something else; Lee loved your Grandma Sarabi with all his heart, just like he loves the rest of us. If he had to shoot her, I'm sure it was because there was no other choice."

"What if Lee doesn't come back?"

The mere thought of such a thing sent a wave of despair over me. But I had to stay positive for my youngest grandson's sake.

I looked out at the horizon as I answered him, "He'll be back Kion, he'll be back."

 **A/N: Obviously, this chapter doesn't really add anything to the overall plot. I just felt like putting in a rather cheerful chapter to help ease the pain of some of the previous ones. Let me know what you think in your reviews, see you all next time!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I'm Baaaack. Hey everybody, good to be back in the world of writing. I am terribly sorry for the extremely long wait. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and are settling into the New Year nicely. For those of you, who may have been wondering if I gave up writing, don't worry. My laptop was giving me all sorts of trouble until this last weekend. Anyway, I know you all must be dying to find out what happened to the Pride Lands human price, so here is chapter 25!**

Lee brought his staff down on Rafiki, only for his teacher to dodge and sweep his feet out from under him. With a loud grunt, Lee fell to the ground and felt two hairy arms wrap around his neck. He began to trash and kick in an attempt to throw Rafiki off of him. Despite almost losing consciousness, Lee found himself able to get to his feet and reach back to grab Rafiki's head. With barely any effort, the prince threw his teacher over his shoulder and back on the ground. This time, he jumped on top of Rafiki and used his superior height and strength to hold him down.

"Rafiki is not your enemy Prince Lee; think about what you're doing!"

What Rafiki got in response was a solid right hook to the face. This baboon was even tougher then Lee realized, because while it did slightly daze his teacher, anyone else hit with that punch with that amount of rage would have been knocked out cold. Rafiki's hands reached up and in a desperate attempt to get free squeezed his pupil's face. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the boy he had gotten so close to; but at the emotionally rage driven state he was in, Lee could very easily kill Rafiki without meaning it.

All Rafiki's actions seemed to do was increase the boy's anger. An inhuman growl escaped his lips as Lee bit down hard on the mandrill's fingers. Rafiki's teeth clenched as he bit back a cry. Using his free hand, he slapped the human across the face. Lee's hands found their way off his teacher's body and around his neck. The ringing in his ears blocking out his friend's grunts of pain; his blurry vision never letting him see the desperate plea in Rafiki's eyes.

"P- Please Lee." Rafiki began.

"EVERYONE AROUND ME DIES!" Lee roared.

Those were Lee's last words before he blacked out.

(Lee's POV.)

I grunted in pain as my eyes opened to see a campfire. That being the only source of light in the dark night. My head throbbed and felt like it had been stabbed with my old knife. In an attempt to rub it, I realized my hands were tied behind my back with rope.

"Your awake." Called a voice I didn't recognize.

Looking to the left of me, I was the silhouette of a young boy dimly lit up by the fire. He looked to be around my age, although I could already tell he was a lot leaner than I was. His jet black hair was buzzed at the sides but kept long in the middle, which he slicked back. What really popped out about him were his eyes, an emerald green. Almost as if they were made of kryptonite. He wore a smile that could light up a room as he addressed me.

"My names Jason, what's your name?" He asked.

I turned away as I started to rub the ropes that bound my hands against the rock I was leaning against. Suddenly, I felt something knock me down on my side, making it impossible for me to get up. Jason stood over me with a disappointed look on his face.

"Your buddy Rafiki told me to not let you get untied. For you are considered to be a danger to yourself and others. "He said.

I sighed, "Where is he?"

"So you can talk." He joked.

"Where?" I repeated with an edge in my voice.

"He said he had to go back to his tree to get medicine to help keep you calm. And judging from the scuffle you two got into; I would recommend taking a big dose of whatever he brings back."

"You saw us fighting?"

"Yup, and when I took it upon myself to incapacitate you before you choked the life out of a monkey."

My eyes narrowed, "You knocked me out?"

"Yes indeed. I'm sorry if I hurt you, just felt like the right call in the moment."

"Whatever." I growled.

"Rafiki tells me you're quite the martial artist. He says he's been teaching you Aikido."

"I guess."

"You guess? Are you not as Rafiki says?"

"Untie me and find out." I said.

"Yeah, I don't think so. You can't bait me fighting you. It would just be a waste of our energy."

"You think you could hold your own against me? What do you do, Karate, Kung Fu?"

"A lot of hand to hand combat. I'm not as disciplined in a specific style, at least not with my fists. But this…"

He stood and made his way over to a large duffle bag next to a sleeping bag. Rummaging through it, he brought out two objects that I couldn't see through the darkness. When he came back into the light of the fire, he was holding a Katana with a white Saya and Tsuka. A golden Tsuba or hand guard matched the cloud white nicely. And a state of the art camouflage crossbow.

He smiled, "This I know."

I shrugged, "Crossbows were never my style, always took too long to reload."

He laughed, "Let me guess, you're more of a Smith and Weston kind of guy? What do you use, hunting rifle, pistol?"

"Both, plus I'm a pretty handy with a tomahawk and knife. At least until said knife got stuck in a croc's eye socket." I chuckled for the first in forever over the memory.

"Impressive."

"Thanks."

"So, do you have a name?" He asked.

"Lee."

"Nice to meet you, Lee."

"I doubt that."

Things got really quiet after that. Jason stroked the fire and left for ten minutes to go hunt. He returned with a descent sized antelope, a crossbow bolt right between the eyes. Using a smaller blade, what did he call this one, a Tanto to carve up the meat. My stomach screamed in agony as the scent of cooked food hit my nostrils. Jason looked up at me as the sound of my stomach growling caught his attention. With a playful smirk, he held a huge chunk of meat up with his knife.

"Hungry?"

Shaking my head, I looked away to try and block out the smell. The sound of meat being chewed and bones cracking only maximized my hunger. My stomach wouldn't let up either, only seeming to get louder with each growl it released. Jason must have noticed this too, because he walked right behind me and nudged me with his foot. He kneeled down with a piece of food an inch from my face.

"Eat." He demanded.

"No thanks."

"That wasn't a request. You're not starving to death on my account."

I inched my face closer to his. Our noses were almost touching now. My face got hot as my blood started to boil. This guy was seriously starting to get on my nerves. We haven't even know each other for half an hour and he's already knocked me out, tied me up, and now he was trying to force feed me against my will. Yet despite me doing my best to intimidate him, he didn't look the least bit scared. There was almost an unshakable sense of both determination and kindness in his eyes. What is up with this dude?

"You don't even know me." I spat.

He raised his eyebrows, "Do you need to know someone to help them?"

"What makes you think I want your help?"

"You don't want it, you need it." He said.

"No I don't!" I shouted,

He sighed, "Who did you lose."

"What?"

"I recognize that look in your eyes. You've lost someone close to you. You feel like everything important in your life is gone like there's nothing left to live for; your heart being ripped out of your chest? Stop me if I'm getting close."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I basically summed up my whole childhood in one tragic paragraph. My mom was a drug addict who left me practically after I came out of her. No hug, no goodbye, I don't even have a picture of her."

For the briefest of moments, I felt something again; a sense of pity for a man who never knew his own mother. My original life wasn't exactly glamorous, but at least I had my mom and sister there whenever life felt too hard. It looks like this guy didn't even have that.

He continued, "For the last fifteen years, I was under the care of a man who didn't really have the best parental instincts. He had a fascination with ancient military civilizations, particularly Spartans. Thinking it was best to turn scared children into killing machines. That's how he raised me, I've been holding that sword and crossbow since I've been able to stand."

I almost smiled at a thought, "I think your dad and my dad should have gotten together and had a few beers. They would have become best friends."

He smiled as he raised an eyebrow, "Was mine like yours?"

"My dad was a soldier who suffered from PTSD, which he coped with by constantly drinking and bouncing my mom, sister, and I off the walls with his fists."

"I'm sorry man."

I shrugged, "No one to blame."

"So, are you a military man yourself?" he asked.

"I wanted to join the Marines when I was old enough, why do you ask?"

"With the buzz cut, beefy frame and cold look in your eyes, I just figured you were a soldier."

"Believe it or not, I used to have a long, mane like hairstyle. I hadn't cut my hair since Middle School."

"Then why cut it now?" he asked.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a not to far off engine. A few seconds later, we were both blinded by a pair of headlights. They belonged to a pickup with some kind of design on the driver's door. It was too dark to see what it was. Four men stepped out of the vehicle, all dressed in camouflage. Thankfully, it looked like only one of them had a gun, and it was the smallest of them. The three others only had an axe a machete, and a really big knife.

"Untie me, I have a gun, we can take them together." I whispered.

He didn't move at first, "Maybe we won't have to fight them."

Jason slowly stood up to address our visitors. With his hands slowly raised, he walked in a calm manner; armed only with his Tanto tucked inside his jeans.

"Evening gentlemen, how can we help you?" he said in a polite tone

The guy with the gun walked forward with his hands behind his back. Blond hair was neatly culmed back, and his smile portrayed a set of pearly white teeth you would expect a model to have. Despite being the smallest among the men, he still looked slightly taller than Jason. I hoped he was a good a fighter as he claims, or he would be dead.

"What might you two be doing out here in the African wilderness? And why is that boy tied up might I ask?" the man asked.

Jason quickly glanced back at me before answering, "That is my cousin, Lee. He tends to sleep walk, so to avoid losing him in this tough terrain, I take to incapacitating him. It's for his own safety."

The man chuckled, "Well, this is no palace for two young boys to be staying. A predator could sneak up on you and make you his dinner within the blink of an eye. Especially lions, savage beasts those things are. You would be much safer with us."

I clenched my fists at the comment about lions. If we had to share a room with this guy, I don't think I could last long before throwing him through a door. Thankfully, Jason must have not been too keen on staying with them either. He politely declined the man's offer before wishing him and his men a good night and turning away.

"That wasn't a request, boy." The man said, now in a darker tone.

He drew his pistol in an instant. Jason still didn't look the least bit riled up. Slowly and calmly, he raised his hands back up and spoke in the same tone he had always used.

"There is no need for that, sir. My cousin and I just want to enjoy a night under the stars. Now I will ask you to please get in your truck and be on your way."

The man stepped so close to Jason, the barrel of the gun was pressed against his forehead. Even though I couldn't see his face, I'd be willing to bet he didn't even blink. For the first time, I saw Jason shoulders rise and fall, as if he had just sighed in annoyance.

"Last chance kid, get your cousin and get in the truck or Ill splatter your brains all over the dirt!"

Jason sighed, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"This."

In an impressive display of speed, he grabbed the man's arm and twisted it so hard; I could hear a gruesome snap from where I was sitting. Aiming it at the three other men who looked at the very least surprised by his attack, he could easily end this by shooting all of them. Amazingly, all he did was take out the clip and put it and the gun in his pocket.

"This could end here if you all just take him and go home."

The man snapped, "He's one man, take him boys!"

The man with the axe swung with everything he had at Jason's head, only for him to miss when Jason leaned back and poped him in the head. Pulling out his knife, Jason made one quick slice, cutting the man's throat open like he was slicing a piece of salami. He quickly knocked the large knife out of the other man's hand and kicked him in the stomach. A large meaty hand swung his way and actually connected. His attacker's joy lasted for about a millisecond before Jason flipped back to his feet in some true Jackie Chan type fashion. Man and I thought Rafiki was acrobatic!

Something shining caught my attention. It was the large knife the other man dropped a moment ago. Looking back over towards the action, I would assume Jason still had his hands full. Using all the strength in my feet, I crawled closer to the key to my freedom. Jason made quick work of the guy with the machete, sticking his knife right through his neck, killing him instantly. Maybe he wouldn't need my help.

All that was left was the unarmed man and the guy with the broken arm. The only problem is, the man now without his knife was the biggest guy out of all four of them. He constantly threw punch after punch at the much smaller boy, but Jason kept dodging them like they were nothing. Getting annoyed at how easy this was for him, the large brute charged Jason with a fierce yell. All Jason had to do was run to the man at full speed, jump on the man shoulder, and SNAP! The man hit the ground with a thud, dead.

While all this was going on, I had managed to crawl all the way over to the knife, and cut myself free. Just in time for Jason to have only one more guy to kill. The man that pulled the gun on him now lay frozen where he originally fell. Despite easily killing three larger men without hesitation, Jason didn't move to attack him in any way.

"Go." Jason said in the same calm tone.

Without a second's hesitation, he scrambled to his feet and ran to his truck. Not caring that his comrades lay dead in the dirt. He dropped his keys twice before finally getting them in the ignition and taking off a hundred miles an hour in the opposite direction. Jason turned just in time to see me right in front of him. Looking around, I just shrugged before stating.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll take that meat now."


	26. Chapter 26

Jason handed me a large piece of gazelle before sitting down and cleaning his blade. The meat was so large, I kenw I would have to cut it up. Lifting up the blade i used to cut myself free, I realized that it was much larger then I originally thought. The blade alone was as long and as wide as my forearm. Made with staneless steel, the spine of the blade curved slightly until it reached the tip. The tip and the blade were both razor sharp. This knife made my old blade look like a common kitchen utensil.

"Are you going to keep that?" Jason asked.

I shrugged, "It won't do him any good anymore." motioning to it's previous owner.

"Definatley not." Jason agreed in his same tone.

Looking back at the carnage from moments ago, I realized I had to give Jason credit. He singlehandedly managed to kill three men without batting an eye. Almost as easily as fighting a bunch of kids. The most disturbing think about the entire scene, he kept that same blank expression the entire time. I know i have had that same expression at times, but never when I killed anything. I remember when I killed the hyeenas, I had an angry snarl on my face and rage in my eyes.

But when Jason killed these men, he looked almost like a robot. Absolutely no emotion on his face as he drove his knife through one man's throat and snapped another man's neck. A dawning reality washed over me as I realized I may be having dinner with a legit psychopath. Even more terrifying, one that has a undenyable knack for killing.

"Do you think i'm crazy?" Jason asked almost as if he was reading my mind.

"Are you?"

He kept his gaze on the fire, "I havent been to a doctor to know. My father's training taught me to almost turn off my emotions when killing, so I wouldnt hesitate when the time came. When I do kill, It's as if everything is in slow motion, and it almost doesn't feel real."

"How often have you killed?" I asked.

Finally, he took his eyes off the fire to look at me. The look he gave me wasn't blank, but tragically solemn.

"I try not to keep track." He said.

All I did was nod in understanding.

"What about you?" He asked.

I sighed, "To many."

"i see." was all he said.

As I said that, a sudden wave of emotions hit me like a semi. I shakily reached my hand up and wiped a single tear away as I snivled. It felt like I was about to explode from pent up emotion, exactly how I felt before I attacked Rafiki. My breathing got heavy again, and my head got dizzy. I almost fell over before Jason caught and stedied me.

I looked into his eyes, "I killed my grandmother. She was protecting me from some bad people, and got hurt. To end her suffering, I put a bullet in the back of her head."

He nodded once I finished and placed his hand on my shoulder. Only patting it and sat back before speaking to me.

"It must have been really hard to do that."

"The sad truth is, everyone around me dies."

"Everyone in the world dies Lee."

"Not as bad as members in my family have, that's for sure."

"There were others?" he asked.

I sighed, "My family and I came to Africa to help rebuild a village that was destroyed by an earthquake. One day when my father was driving us, he crashed into a tree. He had gotten wasted the night before, I knew I should have taken his keys. I went to find help, I found Nala."

"Who's she, your girlfriend?"

"My other mother." I said. "Anyway, I saved her several times from hyeenas before returning her to her home."

I pointed to the giant rock formation way in the distance. We had to be at least a mile away, but it still looked as titanic as ever.

"That's it, the creatures here call it Pride Rock. The royal family lives in it."

Jason raised his eyebrows in confusion, "A family of people living in a cave?"

I shook my head, "Who said anything about people, the royal family is a pride of lions. After I brought Nala back, she and her mate king Simba took me in. They all did actually."

He chuckled, "A human raised by lions, now that's different."

"Hey, if Tarzan could do it with apes and Mowglii could do it with wolves, why can't I do it with lions?"

He put his hands up, "Okay, fair point."

"Nala gave me two beautiful siblings, and we adopted two other girls."

"So, did you ever go back to get your real family?" he asked.

My voice cracked as I spoke again, "Yeah, but my mom and sister were already dead."

"What about your dad?"

I looked him in the eye, "He shot himself... right after he shot me."

Lifting my shirt, I revealed my scar from the healed shotgun wound from months ago. Rafiki informed me that the scar would be there for the rest of my life. Jason's face didn't change, like it was something he saw every day.

"Damn" was all he said.

The sound of maraca's swaying made me look in the distance. An all to familiar laugh made me cast my eyes down to avoid looking my teacher in the eye. All Rafiki did was tap my shoulder and handed me a cup type object filled with some kind of liquid. I drank it on his command. My body felt warm as my head got dizzy again. Two sets of hands caught my upper body and set me down gently on my back. Rafiki and Jason were knealing over me and talking. That was all I saw before I blacked out a second time in a few hours.

(Jason's POV)

I looked up at Rafiki after we put Lee down. He was still checking his friends pulse and temperature before sitting down closer to the fire. The maraca's on his staff jingled as he set it down and hummed merrily to himself. Deciding to make myelf more productive, pulled out both my Tanto blade and Katana to sharpen them both. Halfway through sharpening my knife, Rafiki spoke to me.

"He will hopefully be more calm when he wakes. When he does, I will take him back. You are welcome to acompany us if you would like."

I gave a small smile as I set my knife down and picked up my Katana.

"I appretiate the offer, but I don't know if I would fit in with all of you."

He chuckled, "Lee has been living with us for quite some time now, I'm sure the Pride Landers will like you when they get to know you."

"That's not what I mean. I have always done better on my own. Family life isnt really for me."

Rafiki sighed,"Well, my offer still stands. I'm sure the king and queen will like you. We can surely use the help. Especially an experienced warrior such as yourself."

"Thank you."

As the hour passed, Rafiki went on to tell me his life's story. He told me how he came to be the Shaman of the Pridelands. That he knew the former king know as Mufasa, and was now working for his son Simba. And how he would continue serving the royal family until he died and his future apprentice would take over. The sound of Lee coming out of his slumber brought him to a halt.

"I will help you take Lee home, after that, we'll see."

"Splended, come now Lee, lets get you home."

He didn't look up at first, like he was coming out of a haze. When he did eventually look up, the look in his eyes made you think he was lost.

"I'm not going back."


	27. Chapter 27

Rafiki looked at me as if I had said the worst thing ever. Pain spread across his face seconds after I said I wasn't going back. Everything I had in me told me to just fallow Rafiki and Jason to my home. However, something in me just demanded I do the exact opposite.

"What do you mean you're not?"

"I just... can't, I wont put them in any more danger."

"And you think just leaving them will make any of what happened better?"

I stood up and got in Rafiki's face. He didn't even flinch as I towered above him with rage on my features. Jason slowly started towards us with his hand on his Katana, only for Rafiki to put his hand up to stop him. Not taking his hand off the handle, he looked ready to draw at a moments notice. I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to try.

"Everything would have been better if I had just left right after you healed me the first time. It will be better if I leave them in peace."

Jason spoke up, "Better for who, them or you?"

"Stay out of this!" I snapped.

"Please Lee, think about what you're doing. If you leave now, it will destroy them."

"You're not doing this to protect them, you're doing it to protect yourself, you're being a coward Lee!" Jason shouted with venom in his voice. This is the first time his face changed from the robotic type face he always wore. His face dipped into a frown as his eyebrows fell. However, he still looked very in control of his anger.

My fists clenched so hard my knucles turned white. I shoved past Rafiki and speed walked over to Jason. Just like Rafiki, he looked unfazed by my actions. He tightened his grip around the handle as if he was seconds away from drawing it. I looked him in the eye before motioning to his sword with my own eyes. leaning down, I got right in his face before speaking again.

"Just try it.", I whispered in a dangerous tone.

He had the nerve to smirk at my threat, "You sure about this."

"Yeah", I answered while pulling out my knife.

"Easy boys." Rafiki said.

Thats all it took for Jason to back down. He released his Katana before stepping back and raising his hands in surrender. It was my turn to smirk at his quickness to give up. I chuckled evilly before turning away from him.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Lee, everything you have done for them is for the better. Leaving will just worsen the condition they are all in. They all love you more then anything in the world! Running away from your problems isn't the answer. Don't you still love them?"

"Of course I do! Thats why I can't be with them anymore. Everything I have ever cared about has been taken away from me in painful, horrific ways. If I stay, thats all going to happen to them. Their better off without me."

Rafiki opened his mouth to speak again, but the look on his face told me he already knew he couldn't talk me out of it. With a final sigh, he turned away before speaking to me.

"Rafiki know's he can't stop you, so if you feel this is best for those who love you to leave them, then you can go without any resistence from me. Rafiki just hopes you can live with your desision and wishes you all the happiness in the world. He will now go back to Pride Rock to prepare the burial of Sarabi."

With that, my teacher walked towards my home. Jason looked towards me with a face filled with both pity and anger before sitting back down and pushing the sticks in the fire around with his knife. All I wanted to do was sit here until I evaporated into nothing. Ten minutes passed before I looked up, to see he was still just sitting there.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why would you be sitting here out in the middle of nowhere when you have a family to get back to?"

"That's none of your buisness." I snapped.

"Maybe not, but I don't feel comfortable leaving you out here on your own, anything could happen."

I rolled my eyes, "I can take care of myself."

He looked at me with a sad face, 'That doesn't mean you have to."

"When I was coming out of my drug enduced comao a few minutes ago, I heard what you said to Rafiki. What happened to that whole 'family life isn't really for me' buiseness?"

He waited a full minute before answering, "Some dads like to teach their kids how to throw a ball, my dad taught me how to kill a man. And I don't even know my mom's name. Family has just never worked out for me. But from what Rafiki and you yourself have told me, you've got a good thing going back there."

Stopping his monologue, Jason rose to his feet and made his way to where I was sitting. He stood over me for five seconds before offering his giant grin he wore when he first introduced himself. The kind that could make any person isntantly like you for.

"May I?" He asked, motioning to the spot right next to me. All I did was shrug and look away. Jason sat down with a somewhat cheerful sigh, like a guy without a care in the world. Almost as if he hadn't just killed three men less then an hour ago. Looking back at him, I realized he was laying on his back, stargazing. The smile on his face would make you thing he had just won the lottery. This dude was seriously hard to figure out. How could a guy at one point be able to take life at the drop of a dime but find so much beauty in the world so shortly after?

Realizing I was staring at him, Jason turned his head to look at me. I turned away with a grunt and threw sticks into the fire.

"And hey, I don't object to having friends." he said.

I raised my eyebrows as I looked back at him, "Oh, so we're friends now?"

He shrugged before turning back to the stars, "If you want."

(Kion's POV)

Circles formed around the tear that just fell from my face and into the river. Grandma Sarafina took the girls and I to Big Springs to get us out of the den. That's where we had all been for the past three days, ever since my brother had come back with grandma Sarabi's body. Mom had only stayed behind just in case Dad or Lee would come back while we were all gone.

Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri were currently splashing around in the water, giggling with joy as they took turns dunking one another. I didn't have any desire to get in and splash around with them. Feeling a nudge at my side, I looked up to see Grandma Sarafina looking at me in slight worry. She tried offering me a small smile, all I could do was rub up against her leg. A frightened shout from Zuri and a small bickering between her and Tiifu caught her attention, telling me she would be back in a minute.

"Kion?" A female voice called

I turned to see none other then Fuli strolling up to my side. The cheetah looked at me like she already knew what had happened. I wouldn't be suprised if Bunga had told her about my Grandma's passing already. When she finally did reach me, she did something completey out of the ordinary, she nuzzled me! Just like my mom and Grandma's would do when they knew I was upset. I say it's unordinary because for as long as I've known her, Fuli had never been one for phycical affections like nuzzles or hugs. After that, she sat down next to me and wore a sad look.

"I'm really sorry to hear about your grandma Sarabi. She was always so nice. Not just to me, but everyone she knew."

I sighed, "Did Bunga tell you?"

Her ears fell against her head, "No, Zazu did. He told me when he came by yesterday. Said he was still looking for your dad and brother. Why do you think Lee hasn't come back yet?"

"I don't know." I said

Looking down for a second, I noticed several small marks on Fuli's front left leg. When I looked at her face again, her features got slightly more sad as she slowly shook her head. My mouth started to open to say something, to possible beg her to let me help her. But as good as friends as we are, she would never want me to help her. Her pride and guilt clashed to much. It didn't matter anyway, because she spoke before I could.

"You promised." She hissed.

I sighed, "I know."

Five hours later, grandma took us all home. As we made our way up the slope of Pride Rock, I could pick out two voices talking in a slightly hushed tone. One I immedeatley recodnized as my mom's, the other was even more recodnizable, Rafiki.

Oh, hello royal family.", Rafiki greeted as we came into view.

Mom wore a sad look as she spoke to us, "Mom, please take the cubs inside, I'll be there in a minute."

I started to fallow my family as we made our way into the cave. However, their was something in the back of my mind that nagged at me to listen to what they were saying. Slowly and quietly, I creeped up to the edge of the wall so I could hear what they were talking about.

"Rafiki is so sorry my queen."

"Don't be, I'm sure you did everything you could. He just needs time by himself. Lee's just upset."

My body went cold as everything became hushed around me. Had Rafiki seen Lee earlier? Why wasn't Lee with him? Before I had time to think over anything else, my mom made her way back in. This made me make a mad dash for everyone that was around the kill we had left over from last night.

Hours later, after everyone else had fallen asleeep, I was tossing and turning. My mind racing a thousand miles a second with questions. One stuck out more then any other, were was my brother? Why would he need time by himself when we were all here? Not only that, but where could dad be? At least Rafiki had seen Lee, dad was still no where to be found. With one last irritated huff, I pushed myself up and slowly started to make my way towards the cave's exit.

Halfway across the platform, A voice called out to me, "Kion, what are you doing up?"

Kiara!

I turned with a sigh as I noticed not just one, but all three of my sisters were standing in the mouth of the cave. They all wore eqully tired and confused looks on their features as they stared back at me. Using my paw to quietly shush them, I motioned them over to me.

"I have to go look for Lee." I stated as soon as they got close enough.

All three of them stopped in their trakes. Their expressions ranging from doubtful to flat out freaked.

Kiara was the first to speak, "Kion, that's crazy! It's not safe out their, especially at night! Just wait until morning, we can ask mom and Grandma Sarafina to help us look."

"No, I won't put mom through that. And I can't wait that long."

She waited a minute before sighing, "Fine, then I'm coming with you."

"Fine."

Tiifu shared a look with Zuri before speaking, "we're coming with, he's our brother too."

"Yes he is, but you two need to stay here. Do everything you can to keep grandma and mom accupied as long as possible. If we all go, they will come looking for us right away, and we won't have as good a chance." I told them.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Zuri asked.

"Be creative." I tried.

"Kion, you do know what will be waiting for us when we get back, right?" Kiar said.

"Oh please, when we get back with Lee, mom and grandma will be so happy, they forget we ever did it. Besides, finding Lee would be well worth being grounded for a few weeks."

She sighed again, "Fine, lets go."

My sister and I made our way down the slope and out into the night. We spent the last thirty minutes looking around the main watering holes that Lee knew the best. When none of those worked, Kiara suggested we look near the grazing grounds. Two hours into it, we got no where. It really started to take it's toll on both of us. I got more and more angry knowing Lee was out their, maybe hurt and we couldn't find him! It started to get cloudy; and before we knew it, it was downpouring. Kiara's bossy attitude and constant bickering didn't help my mood either.

"We've looked in this place already!" Kiara snapped.

"Don't get mad at me! If you're getting tired, you can go back." I yelled.

"Shut up."

I snapped, "You shut up!"

I shoved her, and she fell close to a bush. Before she could get towards me, an object wrapped around her foot and she shot up a tree.

"Kiara!" I yelled.

"Ha, got one!" Someone yelled.

A large, two footed figure came out from behind the bushes and started cutting Kiara down. I almost thought he was helping her until he grabbed her roughly and tied something around her muzzled; preventing her from biting him.

"Hey, let go of my sister!" I demanded.

Just as I was about to run up and bite his leg, I felt something press hard against my tail. Looking behind me, I saw a human standing over me. Assuming he was a male, he looked much smaller then Lee, his hair was the color of the sun, and one of his arms was wrapped in something. Almost like something Rafiki would use to wrap a sprained paw in.

"Not so fast kitty." the man said.

He tried grabbing me by the scuff, but I swiped at his hand. All that seemed to do was get a chuckle out of him as he tried again. This time I bit down on his hand with everything I had. The taste of blood flooded my mouth as the man let out a high pitched squeak. The next thing I saw was his palm when he slapped me hard aross the face, sending me to the ground.

I shut my eyes when he raised his palm to stirke again but it never came. When I looked up again I saw, without question, the largest man I had ever seen! This guy would probably tower above Lee if they stood next to each other. And that is not an easy thing to do. On top of that, he had arms that look like they could pass for elephant trunks, and his chest looked solid enough for Pumba to walk on.

This giant of a man was currently holding the smaller man's unwrapped arm, preventing him from hitting me. He never took his eyes off me. When the other man started to struggle, the giant snapped at him in a voice that could give my dad's roar a run for it's dinner.

"Do that again kid, and you'll have more than a broken arm to worry about."

The smaller man sneered, "Do you forget who pays you in the first place?"

"Of course not, your father. Who also pays me to make sure you don't damage any of the merchandise!"

With that, the larger man leaned down and picked me up before releasing the man with the injured arm. He carried me to a strange object that was on four circle type objects. It was large object that had a back end that was filled with some sort of hallow containig units. One of them already had Kiara in it; who had her feet and mouth bound with something.

I turned to the stranger, "I'm Prince Kion, my father is the King of these lands. If you let me go now, he won't punish you, I'll make sure of it!"

The man chuckled, "Sorry little cub, I can't let you go, your to valuble."

He gently placed me in the same container as Kiara before shutting the thing we were in and walking to the front of the object. We heard something creek and slam before a large rumbling noise erupted from the ground. Seconds later, we were moving at an incredibly fast pace. I saw trees and rocks zip passed us so fast a cheeta couldn't see them.

All while this was going on, I couldn't help but blame myself for getting us into this mess. Why did I have to push Kiara! Now we were miles away fom home with our mom and Grandma not knowing where we are! Looking out at the dark landscape littered with lightening, I cried out to the only one who I knew could save us.

"Lee!" I yelled.

Thunder and lightening shook the earth.

"Lee!" I yelled again, this time in a more desperate tone.

Again, the elements crashed around us.

"Big Brother, where are you?" I cried as tears formed in my eyes.

Nothing.

"LEE!"

The largest explosion ripped through the sky as a lightening bolt sprang from the clouds and almost hit the object we were in. It swerved so hard I fell flat on my face. Not having the energy to get up, I just curled my tail around my body and started to sob.

"Lee.. I want you." I whispered.


	28. Chapter 28

(Kion's POV)

A sudden jolt woke me from my slumber. All of my crying must have been too exhausting for me to handle. The squeeking and slamming of the object hit my ears before the large man and another man I hadn't seen yet appeared before me. Immedeatley crouching in a subbmissive pose, I tried to seem at least cooperative towards my captives.

The giant opened the object we were kept in and picked both Kiara and I up and walked us over to another object. This one was a lot like the previous one we were in, except it was much larger. A Lioness with a cloud white pelt was currentley laying in the middle object. Even in th middle of the night I could see her as plain as day. She had two cubs with the same pelt color and one with a dark brown cub all resting at her side.

To the left of that object was another one with even more lions, there were two more females with golden yellow pelts and one male with the same dark brown pelt as the one other cub and a black mane. The giant placed us in the object with the male and two females before crouching down to get at eye level with the male who had just walked up to him.

He pointed to us, "They aren't your snacks Shujaa"

The male, Shujaa, looked at my sister and I, "What a shame, they look delicious."

They shared a chuckle before the giant walked away from our prison. One of the females walked up to me and, without saying a word, picked me up and brought me over to where she and the other lioness laid. The other female was currently trying to get the restraints off my sisters muzzle. Once the lioness carrying me set me down, she introduced herself.

"I am called Nya, and that is Tishala" She said, motioning to the female helping my sister.

"The lioness with the white pelt is called Masika." said the male walking over.

Nya smiled as she looked up at the male, "And this is our mate, Shujaa."

The male nodded at me, "Please to meet you, young one."

I nervously smiled, "H- hello"

Nya licked the top of my head, "And what might your name be, handsome?"

"I'm Kion, Prince Kion, and that is my sister, Princess Kiara. She will be the future queen of the Pridelands after my father passes."

Shujaa spoke up, "Is your father named Simba?"

I looked up at him, "You know him?"

He was about to anwser when a loud bang raddled the side of our prison. The yellow haird human was holding a stick and didn't look very happy. He pointed the object in our direction.

"You all keep it down, or I'll tie all your mouth's shut like we did with her." He said motioning towards my sister.

Giant came by five minutes later with a smaller being at his side. A short female with long hair and white skin. She was holding a sort of container filled with something I could't see. While the giant was holding a large piece of meat in one hand and was dragging a large circular object behind him with the other.

He threw the meat down right in front of us and said the object was filled with water. He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt with no sleeves. What did Lee call those? Tank tops, that's it. I now saw just how muscular this man was. His biceps looked about twice the size of Lee's. All the viens in his arm looked about ready to pop they were so visible. The thin white material of his shirt did little to mask his bulging pecs or definative eight pack as Lee called it.

When he got closer, I could see his hair was auburn, just like my dad's. Except his was short. He also had the same color hair all around his face. The female human crouched down right in front of me. Her long hair was the same color as the giant, she offered me a gentle smile with her pearly white teeth as she stroked the top of my head.

"Such a cutie." She cooed.

The giant chuckled," Sure, he looks cute now Sarah. But before you know it, this cute little furball will turn into a five hundred pound monster."

The girl, Sarah, chuckled before rubbing under my chin. She quickly noticed Kiara laying next to the other female with her mouth still bound. With a sad sigh, she immedeatley went over and took the object off my sister face. The giant kneeled down, actually giving me a smile for the first time before addressing me again.

"Do I have to worry about you stealing my girl?" He asked in a halfway serious tone.

I smiled, "I dont really like girls yet."

He laughed out loud before ruffling my mane like Lee or dad does. Sarah was still attending to my sister, wrapping something around the leg that was caught in the trap. Once that was done, she and the giant left our prison again. He only turned back when he was at the opening to speak to me again.

"I'm Sam by the way." He said with a smile.

I smiled back, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

I turned back to Nya, "So you and Shujaa are married?"

She smiled, "Not just me, Tishala and Masika too."

I frowned in confusion, "Wait, all three of you are married to the same male?"

"Don't they do that were you come from?" Shujaa asked.

"No, my dad is just married to my mom and that's it. "

"Oh, well it quite common where we are from. My father had five wives while he led our pride. However, good for your father for being content with one."

He walked closer and nuzzled Nya lovingly before looking down at me.

"Me, on the other hand, I like to share my love and affection"

After he went over and nuzzled Tishala, Shujaa layed back down and rested his head on his paws. It wasn't long before we heard snoring coming from his direction. As my night vision started to ajust to the darkness, I started to get a better look at how these human's lived. They all lived in these strange triangle shaped onjects that they beat into the ground. Nya says the humans call them 'tents'. There was a much larger one that was at the far left from where we were. Many noises, especially agonizing roars came from that place. Every once in a while, they would bring the body of a lioness out.

I looked up at Nya, "What's going to happen to us?"

She gave me a sad look, "I don't know honey."

Kiara spoke up, "Don't worry Kion, Lee will be here soon. He'll make them all regret putting a hand on us."

"Lee? The human prince of the Pride Lands?" Tishala asked.

Kiara looked up at her, "How do you know about our brother?"

Nya smiled, "Even as far back as the Eastern Shores, we've heard the tales of the human who saved the queen of the Pride Lands. They say he defeated a whole army of hyeenas single handedly."

"You better believe it." Kiara said, "He's as strong and as fierce as any lion you would ever meet. If anyone can get us out of this, he can."

I smiled halfheartedly, "Right."

(Third person POV)

Lovers Sam and Sarah lay together in a tent they shared. Sam's extremely tall body didn't even all fit on the matress they slept on. One of his massive arms was wrapped protectively around his future wife as they started to drift off.

"You're still awake, arent you?" He said smirking down at her.

She didn't turn around, "I saw you interacting with that cub. How are you going to feel when they have to skin him?"

"You don't know they'll do that."

Sahrah turned around and shoved her finger in his face, "How many lions have died in that tent? And all for what, Money? Honestly Sam, you made a good living at your old job back in our homeland."

He sighed, "The lumberjack buisness has all gone down hill in Ireland, you know that. Besides, with our future, I need to be sure your taken care of."

She dropped her scowl, and with a gentle face, grabbed her Sam's hand and placed it on her stomach. Where their future was currently forming. Although she was three months along, she wasn't excpecting to show for at least of few more months.

"Our boy will be the happiest child alive if he just has you for a father. He won't need all the worldly posessions that all this money could by. Please Sam..."

A quick hand over her mouth stopped what she was about to say. Right after hastily shushing Sarah, he grabbed his old double bladed axe and headed for the entrance. After taking a quick peek outside. With a heavy sigh, Sam turned to his love.

"Looks like trouble, stay here." Sam ordered before heading out.

Laying in the middle of the camp was one of the armed gaurds. He had something long and skinny sticking out of his neck. Three other men were already starting to surround him before Sam got there. He knealed down and quickly pulled the object from the man's lifeless body.

"It looks like... A crossbow bolt." Sam said.

Before anyone knew what was happening, a figure dropped from a nearby tree and decapitated two of the gaurds like it was slicing a cake. The figure stalked towards the blonde Nathen, only for Sam to tackle him to the ground. He tried simply puting the small man in a chokehold; but he was stronger then he looked and wrigled out of his grip and managed to strike him with a solid elbow to the face. Sam responded with a left hook to the mouth. The boy flew off of him and landed a few steps away.

The boy got to his feet seconds later. After spiting blood out on the dirt, he twirled his sword around while staring daggers at Sam.

"Damn," he said, "You got hands as solid as steel."

Sam held his hands up, "No one needs to get hurt here friend."

"I agree, so just let the lions go, and we can walk away peacefully."

Sam raised his eyebrows, "I'm sorry, but I can't do that, I have to feed my-"

The boy wiped his sword around and cut Nathen's face. Who was about to shoot him in the back. Using the split second of oppertunity, Sam picked up his axe and smacked the boy in the back of the head with the handle of his weapon. He fell to the ground with a thud, motionless. Cautiously, Sam kneeled down and checked the boy's pulse. He was uncontiouse, but still alive.

Nathen swiftly walked up to the culpret and aimed for his head. Only to have Sam shield him with his massive body. The blonde haired teen scowled at the much larger man.

"What are you doing? He killed three of our men, he has to die." Nathen demanded

"Just because he killed, doesn't mean we have to."

Nathen narrowed his eyes, "I reconize him. That's the bastard that broke my arm!"

Sarah came running out with a medical bag, "Let me check him"

Sam frowned, "I thought I told you to stay in the tent!"

She rolled her eyes, "Your my boyfriend, not my father."

"Move sweetheart, this kid just bought himself a death sentence."

Sam got closer to him, "I said no!"

Nathen finally raised his hands in surrender. Sam sighed as he turned away to see if Sarah needed any help. Then all of a sudden, a loud crack rank through the air as Sam fell to the ground. Sarah tried to disarm Nathen, only to get knocked uncontious herself.

Nathen scoffed, "Stupid bitch."

"Leave them alone!" screamed a voice from the cages.

A wicked grin formed on Nathen's face as he turned toward the brave little cub who shouted at him. Kion's bravery somewhat lessend as the man came stalking towards the him. Nya protectively placed a paw around the young prince and barred her razor like canines at the attacker. The teen simply pointed the gun at her, only for kion to free himself from her grip. He didn't want her dying on his account.

Despite words of protest from everyone in the cage, Kion didn't move while Nathen yanked him up and walked over to a table. Sticking on the table was a cleaver used for butchering. The tyrant slammed Kion down on the table, making him cry in pain. This only made the teen laugh in joy as he picked up the cleaver and placed it under the cubs chin.

"Go ahead and cry, no one's gonna save you now!" He said as he raised the weapon above his head.

Kion closed his eyes, preparing for the most agonizing pain in his existance to happen. But again, nothing did happen. Seconds later, Kion felt the hand holding him down fly off his small body. Followed by a gagging noise, as if someone was being chocked. Even though he desperatley didn't want to, Kion slowly opened his eyes.

He was greeted by a sight of a large, dark figure holding Nathen at bay. One hand was keeping him from striking Kion with the blade; while the other had an unbreakable hold on the teen's neck. Even thought it was still to dark to see the figures features, tears of unmistakable joy erupted from Kion's tearducks as he recodnized him almost immedeatley.

The creature spoke in a dangerousely low tone, "Wanna bet?"

Kion smiled, "Lee!"


	29. Chapter 29

After grabbing the cleaver from his hands, I picked the blonde haired prick up with ease and threw him several feet away from the table. He immedeatley started to cower as I stalked towards him in a Michael Meyer's fashion. With shacky hands, he started to draw his gun. Before he could even point it at me, I kicked it out of his hands and punched him in the stomach. Now without weapons and on the ground in pain, he started to whimper and plead.

"N-no, p-p-please dont hurt me." He cried.

By now I was towering over him. My much larger frame cast an enourmouse shadow over his meek body. Kneeling down to get at eye level with him, I leaned in so our noses almost touched. All it seemed to do was turn the guy into an even more of a blubering mess.

"Please, mercy."

"Mercy?" I snapped in the same lone tone, "After you were just about to butcher my little brother alive, you excpect me to just look the other way?"

"Lee." Jason called.

He was standing right behind me, his katana still drawn. Sporting a pretty nasty cut on his forhead. Holding his hands up in a similar way to the guy was a second ago, like he was trying to make me rethink what I was about to do.

"He's surrendering."

"He almost butchered my brother and sister. That can't go unpunished" I said while keeping my eyes on the boy.

"I could try to stop you, but I won't. I'll trust you will make the right desision"

I looked at him for a split second, "I am."

Without hesitation, I turned back to the boy, raising the cleaver above my head.

"PLEASE." He cried.

One large swing brought it through the middle of his head. The sound it made when it hit was like a hundred bones breaking at once. Blood poured out of the sides and gushed out the top as I pulled the weapon out of his skull. His body fell with a thud that could be heard around the savana. I dropped the blade and walked over to my younger brother. Kion stil looked half shaken up, wheather it was from almost getting decapitated or from watching me murder a guy I couldn't tell you. Grabbing him by the scruff and lifting him up, I looked him straight in the eye.

"Are you okay?"

"Y- yes."

"Good, because you are in so much trouble, where's Kiara?"

All he did was point towards one of the large cages. One of which Kiara was currently pressing her paws against with a wide grin on her face. However, when she found I wasn't giving my warm smile, she immedeatley started to cower. The cages had locks on them, with an anoid sigh I drew my python and looked at the lion's.

"Cover your ears" I told them

"Hey" A booming voice called behind me.

I whipped around and pointed my gun at the massive man that was on the ground a minute ago. A short, thin woman was standing by his side. He had a double bladed axe in his left hand, but he didn't look like he wanted to fight. Not letting my gaurd down, I pulled the hammer of my python back to show I meant buisness. To my suprise, he smiled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a single key.

"You might want to use this." He said.

"Thanks" I said while taking it.

When I turned back to the cage Kiara was kept in, she wasn't in the front anymore. After unlocking it, I got down on one knee and called out to her.

"Kiara!" I said in a warning tone.

She slowly made her way from the far back of the cage and just sat down. Her ears were dipped and she kept her eyes glued to the ground.

"Come here." I commanded.

Without a second's hesitation, she rose and started towards me. I could already hear her sniveling before she even got right in front of me. Picking her up, I was about to rip her a new one before I heaard another voice call to me.

"Go easy on them, they have had a rough night already." called the black maned lion.

I looked at him, "And who might you be?"

He bowed to me, "Shujaa, your majesty. And these two are Tishala and Nya." he said pointing to the two females next to him.

"The white lioness is named Masika, the cubs are mine too." Shujaa said.

I set my siblings down before speaking to them, "If either of you try to run, I promise you, you will wish the psycho with the cleaver got you before I could. Do you both hear what I'm saying to you?"

All they did was nod in understanding; neither of them daring to look me in the eye. Content with that, I rose and went to unlock the other cage. The lioness was as white as snow, and had matching sky blue eyes. Three cubs sat at her feet, all of them looked to be much younger then Kion and Kiara. Two of them were white like their mother while the third looked like a mini version of his father.

"Thank you, sire" She said when upon getting out of the cage.

"How do you know I'm royalty?"

"We heard about the human that risked his own life for the queen of the Pridelands. Tales of your heroic deeds have stretched farther then you know."

With that, she lead her cubs out to reconnect with her family. It was strange watching them interact like they did. I mean, after living with Simba and Nala for so long, I had almost forgot that most lions lived this way. They looked like they truly cared for each other. All three of the cubs seemed to show effection to the other females just as much as they did their mother.

I went back over to my siblings, who to my relief didn't try to run off. Picking them both up in one hand, I told Jason I would be back in a minute before going to one of the tents. My anger had not in the least softened as I tore through the flap of the tent and set them down on a table. My knuckles turned white as I clutched the sides of the table and drew shacky breaths. When I looked back at them, they both looked scared out of their minds.

I had seen them look like this whenever they got scolded by Simba or Nala. Truthfully, it did feel strange for my siblings to look this scared of me. They , Tiffu and Zuri usually came to me after they got chewed out to seek comfort. For me to be the one to be dishing out the punishment, felt unatural. But I couldn't stand by this one.

"Who's idea was it?" I demanded.

"M-mine" Kiara squeeked.

"Okay, you're lying." I said.

Her ears fell, "How did you know?"

"You suck at it." I looked at Kion, "Your turn."

"It was me. Kiara only came along when she knew she couldn't stop me." He confessed.

"What about Tiifu and Zuri?"

"They wanted to come with us, but I convinced them to stay behind."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why?"

He gulped loudly, "To make sure mom and grandma didn't know we were gone."

I sighed loudly before addressing them both, "I am extremely dissapointed in both of you! What could possibly possess you both to leave in the middle of the night with no protection? And to get Tiifu and Zuri involved? Come on!"

They both looked on the verge of tears as they looked at their paws. My anger didn't decrease in the slightest as I looked at them in this fragil manner. I rested my arms on the table as I sighed again. After almost half a minute of complete silents, I spoke to them again.

"Whatever would have happened to you here will feel like nothing when mom gets her paws on you two. You know that don't you?"

All they did was nod.

"We're going back need to confess what you did to mom and grandma. And don't excpect me to protect you. Understand?"

Another nod.

" Don't ever do this again. Lets go."

I walked out with both of them by the scruff's of their necks. Similar to how Simba or Nala carried them when they were in trouble. Jason was cleaning the crossbow bolt he had shot in one of the gaurd's neck, whistling merrily as he wipped the last bit of blood with a piece of cloth. He looked up as I got closer and smiled that classic pearly white smile.

"Jason," I said, "I'd like you to meet my sister, Kiara, and my brother, Kion."

"Nice to meet you both." He said.

I looked down at them, "Guys, this is Jason. He helped me save you guys."

"Hi." they both said.

"We need to get going if we're going to get home before dawn. It's a long walk." I told my siblings.

"What about Shujaa and his family?" Kiara asked.

I looked back at them. They were all just talking, all three of the cubs were silently sleeping.

"They kept us safe. Can't they come back with us, please?"

"It's not my call if they stay at Pride Rock with us... But I guess they could come back with us and get permission from the folks."

Both Jason and I went over to them. Shujaa was the one the first to aproach us, giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you so much for saving my family and I. We are forever in your debt prince Lee."

I pointed to Jason, "You could thank him as well, he really took out more of them then I did."

He nodded respectfully to Jason, "Thank you, good sir. My family and I owe you a great deal."

Jason smiled, "It was nothing, I'm sure you would have done the same thing for me."

"Where will you go now?" I asked Shujaa.

His smile faded, "I am not quite sure. Our home was completely destroyed by those humans that captured us. All that's left is ash and death."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said flatly.

"No need for you to appolagise. It's not your fault."

He said the last bit with a twinge of anger in his voice. I noticed he was now staring daggers at the large red head that was currently sitting down with the woman. The way they held each other may suggest they were together.

I turned back to Shujaa, "Listen, if you like, we have plenty of room at Pride Rock for you and your family."

His eyes widened in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

"As seriouse as a snake bite."

"Th- thank you so much. And we wont stay for nothing, I promise you. We can pull our own weight. We can help hunt, if you meed help protecting your territory, we can do that too."

I nodded, "We could use the help. Although, I have to warn you, we recently lost a family member. So we may not be in our best spirits."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"No one to blame."

Jason put his hand on my shoulder, "We could use one of these trucks to get everyone there faster. But we might want to scavange this place to see if there's anything we could use."

The giant and his girlfriend came over to us.

"I'm Lee, and this is Jason." I said as I held my hand out.

"Sam." He said shaking it, "And this is Sarah."

"Hi." She said

"Good to meet you." I said

"Where are you two headed?" I asked him.

"We don't know."

"I saw you stick up for Jason before that other guy could kill him. If you would like, you both could stay with my family while you think about were to go next."

"Well, I don't know, Sarah is expecting and I couldn't put this on your family." Sam said.

"Think nothing of it, besides, we have a great doctor for if she delivers."

Sarah spoke up, "Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"Prince Lee, with all do respect, why would you want to bring those two with us? This is one of the men who captured us!" Shujaa objected.

"Did you kill any of the lions?" I asked Sam.

"No, all I did was capture them, and I only did it to support my family. My lumberjacking job got cut back in Ireland."

I turned back to Jason, "Take my siblings and the females to the truck, I need a moment alone with Shujaa and Sam."

He nodded before taking my siblings from me and heading to one of the trucks. I saw him speak to the lionesses before leading them to one truck and helping load the cubs in the back. Sam nudged Sarah gently towards the vehicle, which she did walk to. Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I turned back to the two males.

"I guess I can't expect you two to get along, but let me tell you something right now. If either of you try something funny. Or put any of my loved ones in any danger, I will put you down myself without a second's hesitation. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sire." Shujaa answered instantly.

"Got it." Sam said.

With that, I told Shujaa to go wait with his family while Sam help me scope out the place. It took almost half an hour, and a fair amount of room in the truck, but it was worth it. We made out with five full crates of M-16's, a few boxes of hand gernades, and some handguns. As well as several other large crates of MRE's or Meals Ready To Eat. This should come in handy in the very least if Sam or Sarah hates Pride Lands animals.

The only down side to coming out with such a large amount of goods, there was little room for the people to sit. The front was big enough to fit three people, but one spot was reserved for Sarah. While one on the far right was for a large box of food, that only left one other spot. Deciding it would be unfair to seperate Sam from his pregnate girlfriend, Jason and I let Sam drive the truck.

Just as we were about to cramp together in the little unoccupied space in the back, Sam pointed us in the direction of a smaller tent in the distance. Telling us it would be a good idea to check it out.

"It's not as big as a truck, but it will get you both were you need to go." He said with a smirk.

Jason and I did make our way to where Sam instructed. It was the second largest tent in the camp aside from the slaughtering one. Which is almost ironic because it only had one thing in it; a small viehicle covered by a tarp. Although I already did have a good guess at what it was, I was still partially suprised when I pulled back the cover.

"Wow." I said with little emotion.

When I looked over at Jason, he was smiling, "This'll work."

(Back at Pride Rock, Nala's POV)

My stomach felt like it was going to explode as I started pacing the edge of my home. Just discovering two of your children had gone out in the middle of the night to search for another can do that to you. All it took was Tiifu trying to do a terrible impression of Kion for my mother and I to realize something was wrong.

After briefly asking what was going on, they never gave a good answer. Leaving both the girls at the mercy of my mother, I told her I was going to look for Kiara and Kion. It only took two steps for me to realize I had no idea where they could have went. I find that if I pace I could think better.

Just as I was about to start searching the watering holes when a stange noise caught my ears. It was something I had never heard before, almost like a loud rumbling noise. As it got closer, I saw a large object coming close to Pride Rock. It was resting on four circular objects, and the back of it was filled with lions! Two of which I instantly recodnized.

Bolting down the slope as fast as my legs could carry me, I made it to the bottom just as the object came to a stop. With a few large breaths after that small run, I found a new sence of anger as I called for my cubs.

"KION, KIARA, COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" I demanded.

My cubs jumped off the back of the object and ran to my direction. I pulled them close to me when we finally did get together. Despite my extreme anger and dissapointment in them, I couldn't help but hug them. Once we seperated, however, I practically exploded.

"Where. Have. You. Been?" I demanded.

Kion stepped forward, "It's my fault mom, I was the one who put the idea in her head."

"No it wasn't." my daughter objected, "at first, you insisted on going alone. I chose to go with him mom. Some humans caught us, but Lee and his friend Jason came to our rescue."

"Lee's back? Is he in that thing?" I asked, trying to get a better look at the figure in the front.

Kion turned to it, "Hey everyone, come say hello."

Two humans I hadn't seen before came out of the front of the object. The remaining lions, which consisted of one male, three females and three cubs, exited the back. The male walked straight up to me and bowed respectfully.

"It's an honor to meet you, queen Nala. I am Shujaa, former ruler of the Easter Shore Pride, before the humans destroyed it. These are my mates, Nya, Tishala, and Masika. These three adorable bundles of joy are my cubs."

I nodded in repect, "Nice to meet you. I am sorry you have lost your home. If you like, your family can stay here for the time being."

"Thank you sire, all your children are amazing by the way. We got to know Kiara and Kion while we were locked up together. And Lee is quite the soldier."

"Thank you, now where is your brother." I said to my children.

Just as Kion opened his mouth to answer me, we heard another strange noise. It wasn't as loud as the first object, but it was still like thunder without rain.

Kion smiled, "That's him now."

One minute later, the dust cloud came to a stop right in front of us. As it cleared away, I saw my son riding on a small object. Lee got off of it to reveal a smaller human behind him. This human was much shorter and less muscular then my son. His hair was jet black that was much thicker on top.

"What is that?" I asked no ne in particular.

"Lee said it's called a Harley." Kion said.

"I'm driving it next time." The boy said to my son.

"Yeah, fat chance." Lee answered, "Hey mom."

I sighed, "Lee."

My human son and I embrased after days of being apart. At first, I thought it would fill me with the same unmistakable joy it always , the embrace itself felt... hallow. As if all his emotion was completely drained from this gesture. The thing that was off about the whole thing was his voice. What was once filled with happiness and joy, now just sounded... dry and empty.

Lee put his hand on the other human's shoulder, "Jason, this is my other mother, Queen Nala. Mom, this is Jason. He kept me company while I was away and helped save Kiara and Kion."

I turned to the boy, "Thank you very much Jason, I am in your debt."

Jason smiled, "Any time your majesty."

"Oh, please, call me Nala."

"You got it, Nala." He said.

"Has Simba come back yet?" Lee asked me.

"No." I said.

"Lee!" my mother called from the top of the slope.

She bolted down Pride Rock with Tiifu and Zuri in tow. All three of them were right in front of him in ten seconds flat, gasping for breath from the run. The look of upmost joy plastered on all of their faces. Lee's face was a mixture of happiness and dread. He nodded at them before dryly speaking.

"Ladies." He said.

Their responce was knocking him over all at once. nuzzling and licking him as tears of joy ran down their faces. Lee hugged and petted them while saying close to nothing. When my mother finally faced him, her smile dipped into a frown at his lack of emotion.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" my mother asked.

He released them, "I'm fine grandma."

The red haired male and female came up to Lee. My mother's ears fell in a slightly threatening manner to see a large figure so close to her human grandson. Lee looked up when he noticed the change in her features and petted her head to calm her.

"It's okay grandma, these guys are with me."

He stood up and turned to them, "Guys, this is the rest of my family. My grandmother, Sarafina, my other sisters, Tiifu and Zuri. And the queen of the Pridelands, Nala or my other mother. Everyone, this is Sam and Sarah. And Jason, he helped save Kiara and Kion after they got captured."

"Captured, by who?" My mother demanded.

"It doesn't matter now, their dead." Lee said. "Sam and Sarah tried to protect Jason when they tried to kill him, and Sarah is expecting."

"Oh, well, congradulations and you all are more then welcome to stay at Pride Rock until you find your own homes." I told all of them.

"And as for you four," My mother said towards our cubs, "Each of you, find a corner in the cave and wait for your mother and I. We will be having a conversation that none of you will enjoy."

All of their heads lowered as they slowly went up the slope of Pride Rock. I shook my head in dissapointment as I watched my children reach the top of Pride Rock and silently walk inside. This would not be enjoyable for any of the lion's involved. But I know that it was my job as their mother to correct them when they do wrong. And this is one of the worst things they have ever done, which means it's the worst punishment they will get. With a finale sigh, I turned to my mother.

"Are yoy ready ?" i asked her.

"Yes."

I turned to Lee, "Why don't you take our guests for a small tour around the Pridelands. We need some private time with the cubs. Zazu will let you know when to come back home. It hopefully won't take too long."

Lee nodded, "Good luck. But I guess I should have said that to the kids. Normally I wouldn't say this, but don't hold back this time. who knows what could have happened if I hadn't found them." He turned to leave

"Lee." I called back, "I'm so glad your back. And I am so sorry about grandmother Sarabi."

For the briefest of moments, his emotions changed. And even more frietening, it got even worse. From a state of dread to unshakable hostility. Just like he always looked whenever he was fighting hyeenas, or the way he looked just before he snapped at me after our confrentation with Zira. Almost as if he was getting ready to literally explode with rage. My ears fell sligtly, as I prepared for the worst to occure.

With one long, shacky sigh, he spoke again.

"What happened to her, I wont let happen to anyone again. I promise you that."

He turned and marched off before i could speak again. With a sad sigh, I turned and fallowed my mother to our children for the most unpleasent afternoon ever.


	30. Chapter 30

I led Sam, Sarah, and Jason through the Pridelands; giving brief explanations of who lived where and that sort of thing. We passed several herds along the way, they all bowed when they saw me. Sometimes, we would hear murmuring about who the new humans were, but they didn't seem to care. Once in a while, an animal would come up to me and offer their condolences. All I could do was give a nod in response. The sound of a very familiar voice made me stop right in the middle of the watering hole.

"Good morning prince Lee.", Ma Tembo greeted me.

I turned to see both her and her elderly father Aminifu standing side by side. they both wore expressions of both sadness and pity. They already knew about Grandma Sarabi no doubt. From what I've learned about Elephants from my time here, it's that they are some of the first animals outside the Royal family to hear about anything in the Pridelands. Being the size they are, it was easy for them to spot just about any kind of gossip. And you really wouldn't want to tell a ten-ton elephant to mind its own business."

We are both terribly sorry about what happened to your Grandmother, sire. It's a tragedy what happened to Sarabi." Ma Tembo said.

Aminifu was staring down, with a slightly more depressed look on his face. I knew from our conversations together that he knew Sarabi better than anyone else in the Pridelands outside the Royal family. He had always remained as a constant source of hope for her whenever she was close to giving up. Especially right after the stampede that killed Mufasa and she thought Simba.

"It is." was all I said.

I felt the texture of a trunk caress my chin. Aminifu was now looking me dead in the eye. This look of sorrow and at the same time determination on his features.

"We are all here for you, Lee. Sarabi was one of the strongest lionesses to rule the Pridelands. She cared deeply about her family and would do anything for them. If she could go out any other way, I'm sure she was proud to protect you. "

"I should have been the one," I whispered.

"The one to what, Lee?" Ma Tembo asked.

"To die."

"Don't say that Lee," Aminifu said.

"It's true." I snapped.

"Don't say that!" He shot back with his voice making the ground shake.

Everyone jumped back from the shock of his outburst. Even Ma Tembo looked slightly frightened by her father's anger. I didn't move from where I stood. Standing my ground against a creature ten times my size, I clenched my fists until they turned white. Every cell in me was demanding I scream at him, but I didn't even have it in me to do that.

Aminifu sighed, "Did you love your Grandmother? Did you respect her?"

"Of course I did."

"Then don't blame yourself for her having to protect you. I know for a fact she thought you were worth dying for."

For the first time in days, something someone said was stuck in my ear. Up until now, everything everyone said felt like they were talking to me a mile away. But I felt that what this old elephant said hit me right in the feels. A single tear fell down my face as I felt his trunk rest on my shoulder. I quickly shrugged it off as I tried to speed walk past him, only for his words to fallow me.

"Don't give up hope, young prince. Never let the tragedies of your past dictate your future."

I didn't say anything before continuing on. We trudged through the land for twenty more minutes. Jason eventually made his way to my side.

"Was she a lion too?" He asked.

I looked down at him, "What?"

"Your grandmother, was she human or a lion like the rest of your family?"

"A lion. One the largest lionesses I've ever seen. Even with her old age, she was all muscle. Beige colored fur, red eyes, and a smile that could make you forget all your worries."

"She sounds amazing."

"She was," I said with a sigh.

"The elephant's right you know. You can't let what happened to you stop you from being happy. It hurts, for sure, but do you think she would want you to give up like this?"

I stopped in my tracks. She wouldn't want me to be miserable.

"No."

Before we could say anything else, a blood-curdling scream echoed out through the air. Jason and I immediately sprinted in direction of the cry, telling Sam to take Sarah back to Pride Rock. We eventually came to a gazelle laying in a pool of blood with something sticking out of its neck. When I pulled it out, I saw that it was a crossbow, covered in blood. There was a strange scent that I didn't recognize the point of the weapon.

"It's filled with poison." Jason declared.

The sound of rustling leaves made me look right behind us. I turned just in time to see a shiny object appear out from behind the bushes. Whatever it was, it was pointed directly at Jason!

"Look out!" I shouted.

Shoving myself in front of him, I soon felt a sharp pain in the middle of my stomach. With a grunt, I dropped to my knees and coughed up blood. I saw something zip passed me, followed by another agonizing scream. Jason laid me down gently before pulling another crossbow bolt out of my abdomen. He swore before retreating into the bushes and dragging out a slightly taller figure than he was. Whatever hopes he had of getting any answers out of him were quickly dashed when we noticed his Tanto blade was sticking right out of his neck. Jason rushed back to my side.

"You're okay, you're gonna be okay." He said.

"I...I"

"What man, what is it?"

"I can't feel my body," I said

Jason's eyes popped out of his head. His lips started to quiver as his shaky hands caressed my head. My breathing got raspy as I felt liquid spilling out of my mouth again. This felt like foam instead of blood. My entire body felt as though it had fallen asleep. Jason's figure looming over me started losing its shape and the light from the sun started to disappear.

"You saved my life," Jason whispered as a tear slid down his cheek.

"You...would have done the same," I told him.

"Stay awake, Lee. I'll get you back to Rafiki and he'll fix you." Jason promised.

"It's too late."

Every cell in me was begging to just give into the poison and die right here. Especially considering all the agony I had gone through since coming here. And the fact that I had tried to blow my own brains out just yesterday. Just as I was about to shut my eyes for good, a new thought came to me that snapped my eyes wide open again.

My family, they didn't know. Jason would have to tell them himself if I just gave up here. They would all remember the emotionless state I was in. Never getting the closure they needed. No! I won't let this be how it ends! I was going to get to see them one last time!

With a new source of pure adrenaline, I pushed myself up off the ground. And with the help of Jason, I began my long and final journey back to Pride Rock.


	31. Chapter 31

(Kion's pov)

I pulled with everything I had one last time. One of the many branches I had dragged was now placed on an enormous pile that the girls and I had been creating over the last three hours. After mom and grandma yelled at us for twenty minutes straight, they took us to a clearing that had been littered with hundreds of tree branches from the last big storm. None of us liked it, but one more glare from both of them got us working right away.

With an exhausted huff, I went back to where the branches were still spread throughout the wide open space. Mom and grandma were laying off to the side, making sure we didn't try to slack off. Grandma leaned in close to mom, and they both nodded to each other. Grabbing another branch with my teeth, I started to pull before feeling a paw tap me on the shoulder. My mom stood behind me with a slightly amused smile on her face.

"I think you four troublemakers have earned a drink at the waterhole."

"Oh, yes," I exclaimed in joy.

She chuckled as I followed her and everyone else to Big Springs. One upside to the large amount of work that we did is that it was close to being over. The sun was setting in the distance, never before had I been so grateful for bedtime.

"After this, you four are going to bed right after dinner. You're going to need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow." mom said.

"What's happening tomorrow?" I asked as I looked up at her.

"You're picking up the rest of the grazing grounds." grandma said.

My jaw dropped, "Huh?"

The girls all started to groan and whine, but mom snapped right back.

"I don't want to hear it! You four earned this for going behind our backs and worrying us half to death! I understand you were worried about your brother, but that doesn't excuse you doing what you did. So tomorrow, you four are getting up bright and early to complete the punishment you were given, am I understood?"

We all hurriedly nodded in response. Seeing mom get that angry was a rare thing, that's why it's so terrifying. I felt something getting caught in my throat, and my eyes started to water. Looking over at them, I saw my sisters were about to do the same thing. Seeing all of us look so shaken, mom's features soften slightly. She sighed before pulling all of us in for a group hug, nuzzling us individually before looking down at us.

"You known I'm doing this because I love all of you. Don't forget that."

We walked to the watering hole in silence. When we made it, we were met with Ma Tembo and her father Aminifu. They bowed in respect before stepping up to speak to us.

"Greetings, royal family. We saw your human prince Lee come by here a while ago. He was leading the human's around the Pride Lands. Did the large male and his mate meet up with you?" Aminifu asked.

Mom frowned, "You mean Sarah and Sam? No, we didn't see them. Wasn't Lee with them?"

"No, we only saw the two of them run very fast past us toward Pride Rock. We never got a chance to ask were Lee and the other human where." Ma Tembo said.

As if on cue, a terrified yell rang out in the distance seconds later.

"Help, some help me!"

"That sounded like Jason," Grandma said.

"He's over there," Kiara said, pointing to the right.

Sure enough, not so far away from us were two figures running as fast as they could. It looked like Jason was practically carrying Lee. Oh no.

All of us ran toward them. Mom was the first to get to them, immediately asking what was wrong in a panicked manner. Almost as if he had lost all of his strength all at once, Jason collapsed from exhaustion, dropping Lee with him.

"We... we were investigating a dead animal, when an archer tried to shoot me, Lee stepped up and took it for me. He saved my life." Jason said.

Mom shook Lee, "Lee, Lee wake up, what the matter?"

"He was shot with a poisoned arrow. He' barely conscious right now."

Granma stepped up, "Put him on my back, I'll get him to Rafiki's tree, he'll know what to do."

After situating Lee on Grandma's back, she took off at top speed to Rafiki's Tree. Mom and the rest of us quickly followed close behind her.

"You're going to be ok big brother," I said to myself.

Two hours later

We all stood outside Rafiki's home. Mom, grandma and the girls all laid together in silence. I couldn't stand still, pacing madly back and forth. How long would it take for Rafiki to heal Lee? The other boy, Jason was in with Rafiki and Lee, helping with whatever he could. He should want to help after getting my brother shot! I was so busy pacing, I almost ran into Jason when he came out again. When I looked up at him, he was staring at the ground, with a solemn look on his face.

"Well, how is he?" I demanded.

"Kion!" mom snapped, "How is my son Jason?" she asked in a kinder voice.

He didn't look up, "Rafiki says... the wounds are fatal. It was a miracle Lee made it as far as he did. We don't know how much longer he has, so it would be a good idea if you come in and say your goodbye's."

"What?" I asked.

"No!" Kiara cried.

I ran into the tree as fast as my legs could carry me. My heart felt ready to burst out of my chest as I skidded to a stop a few feet away from Lee. He was currently resting on a platform made out of sticks and soft leaves. Probably where Rafiki slept. Rafiki himself was sitting by Lee's side, dabbing his forehead with a wet leaf. Fury burned in my eyes as I stared daggers at our so-called Shaman.

"What kind of healer are you?" I snapped.

Rafiki didn't look at me, he just ran his hand over my brother's face. Lee coughed loudly and wheezed before starting to shake wildly.

"Hey!, don't pretend you can't hear me."

I was about to walk closer to him before I felt a pair of jaws grab me. My mother hovered over me as I thrashed against her grip. she laid down and placed her paws on me. Despite using every ounce of strength I could, it couldn't compare to hers.

"Kion, enough! Rafiki can't help if the poison is too great. This fighting isn't good for Lee." She said all this in a calm manner.

Tears fell from my face as I felt all my energy drain at once before falling against her. I buried my face in her shoulder as I felt her pat my back. A wet sensation hit my head a few seconds later, looking up, I saw tears spilling down her face as well.

The girls and Grandma made their way over to Lee. All three of my sister instantly crawled on him and cried like they were dying themselves. Grandma nuzzled Lee's face slowly, her shoulders slowly rising and falling as if she was quietly sobbing. I pushed myself up and made my way over to all of them, mom close behind me.

Lee's skin was as white as the moon, and beads of sweat decorated his face. His breathing got raspier, he would occasionally cough and spit up blood. Jason ran to his side and wiped his face that still had blood on it.

"Thanks," Lee said.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you," Jason said.

"You don't need to thank me. I would do it again if I had too. At least I can say I died to protect a friend."

"Oh, so now you want to be friends?" Jason asked in an almost amused manner.

He looked at him with a smile, "yeah."

He held his hand out to Jason. They locked hands as Jason finally smiled down at him.

"Congrats man, you're stuck with us now," Lee said

I stepped up to my brothers face. He smiled at me before ruffling my mane. I cried before nuzzling his cheek.

"Don't be sad little brother."

"How could I not be sad?" I snapped

He sighed, "I'm going to visit grandma Sarabi. Someone has to keep her company before everyone else shows up."

"You're going to be okay Lee." I cried.

"I know," he said. "And listen, don't let this consume you like I almost let Grandma Sarabi's death consume me. If you spend too much time in sorrow you completely forget the good things still in your life. It's never too late to come back."

I then felt my brother pick me up and place me on his chest, right next to my sisters. All four of us cried on his chest as he kissed us and hugged us all with his large arms. Mom and grandma laid beside us, crying quietly. I saw Lee open his eyes and look up at Jason.

"Do me a favor, will you," Lee asked.

"Anything," Jason responded immediately.

"Those people, there may be more like them. I need a man of your skills. Keep them safe, not just my family, but our kingdom. Promise me you'll protect them."

"I'll do everything I can, I swear to you. I'll keep your family out of harm's way." Jason vowed.

Lee nodded silently before resting his head on the stone floor. Grandma mover her body under Lee's head, using herself as a soft surface for him to rest on. We all laid together, the only sounds that could be heard were our cries and Lee's breathing. A noise that got quieter as the time passed. Until it finally stopped altogether. We all froze in place, not wanting to believe what just happened. Rafiki placed his fingers on Lee's throat, before sighing heavily and looking at all of us.

"He is gone." was all he said.

I looked at Lee's face one more time, he was smiling.

 **A/N: Please don't hate me for this people, but this will be the final chapter of this story. I know what some of you must be thinking, "you cheated us, how could you kill off your own OC?" well, to be fair, this isn't the first time the main hero of a story was killed off, heck, just look at Game of Thrones. More popular characters get axed on that show then any other Disney movie combined. I also want to take this chapter to finally tell you all who I named my main character after. I named Lee after the main avatar from Telltale' "The Walking Dead". The hero's name? Lee Everett. He is without a doubt my favorite character of the entire game series, and I knew my main hero had to be named after him. Anyway, if you wish for me to continue this classic tale, shoot me a PM, let me know what you thought about this chapter and the story in general, and I'll see you guys around the web. This has been Husker97, check ya later!**


	32. Epilogue

(Jason's POV)

I stood off to the side with Sarafina and the cubs as Sam placed Lee's body in the grave right alongside his human family. Snivels and sobs could be heard not just from the lions, but from the massive crowd that began to form around us. The two elephants Ma Tembo and Aminifu stood at the very back with their heads down. A herd of Zebra stood just in front of them, even some of the crocodiles emerged from the water to pay their respects to the former human prince.

Nala placed a bouquet of flowers at the head of his grave before making his way over to us. She lovingly nuzzled her cubs before standing at my side.

"Thank you for coming Jason, it means a lot to me." She said.

"He saved my life, it's the least I could do."

Rafiki stood right beside Lee's grave as he spoke to all of us. A look full of sorrow and dread clearly painted on his face.

"Tonight, we all endure the loss of a very cherished loved one to all who knew him. During his time in the Pridelands, Lee touched almost all of us and changed our lives for the better. One thing I will never forget about him was his selfless nature. He was always about helping others, even if it meant risking his life. If his worst enemy begged him to lift an elephant off of him, he would do it without a moment's hesitation. Things will never be the same without him. Before we finish the burial, does anyone wish to say any words?"

I hesitantly stepped forward,"I've got something to say. If that's ok with you." I said looking down at Nala.

"That's very kind of you, go ahead Jason," she said.

As I walked up to the grave, I locked eyes with Kion. Almost at an instant, his expression went from grieving to murderous. His fangs bared as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. If he had been a full grown lion, I would have more to worry about. But it still wasn't fun to have him look at me with such hatred. I cleared my throat as I stood in front of all of them

"I didn't really know Lee as well as you all did. But I do know what Rafiki said about him was true. In fact, it's because of his selfless ways that I'm standing here right now. We were inspecting a dead animal that had been shot with a kind of poison. And I didn't see a hunter aim his weapon at me. But Lee did, he didn't think about himself for a second. He took the poison for me. More then just a prince, he was a hero. And I promised him that I would do everything I could to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to any of you. With everything I have in me, I will do my best to keep that promise. I swear it on Lee's soul."

"What is all this!" demanded a new voice.

The crowd parted to reveal a male lion walking up to Nala and her family. He looked as though he had just come out of a slaughter house. Blood dripped from his mouth and his mane was messy and madded. Gripping my Katana, I made my way over to the male. Only to have Nala block me.

"It's okay Jason, it's just my mate, Simba."

"Nala," Simba said, "Where's Lee?"

(Unknown POV)

The scent of fresh grass hit my nostrils. Then, almost as if I was struck by lightning, I shot upright with a gasp of air. Panting heavily, I scanned the area I was in. All I saw in front of me was endless fields of green grass and tall trees. But ones that looked like the ones that grew in the forests of America. How did I get here?

"Where am I?"

"Where you are meant to be, young one." called a booming voice.

On instinct, I jumped backward and reached to my side for a weapon. Only to find that I didn't have anything to defend myself with. Not only that, but I wasn't wearing my own clothes either. All I had on was a white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweats. I was about to start running until I looked up at the owner of the voice, and a wave of confusion and joy swept over me all at once.

I smiled, "M... Mufasa?"

The great lion stood before me with a wide grin on his face. He looked just as powerful and friendly as I remember him.

"Nonother." He said with a chuckle.

Without thinking, I leaped up and tackled him to the ground. I couldn't contain my joy at seeing him again. He laughed wildly as he rolled on his stomach and I put him in a headlock.

"It's so good to see you!"

"And you, my boy, and you."

Looking back down at my body, I noticed that there were no scars or marks on my arms at all. In fact, my skin was so clean and sleek, it literally glowed with health. Remembering that last encounter, I hurriedly lifted my shirt to reveal no scars their of any kind either.

"Am I dead?" I asked the former king.

He frowned slightly, "I'm afraid so."

Feeling the events of earlier come down on me all at once, I felt my knees give out as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. Everything I tried to do was all for nothing now! Mufasa placed one of his massive paws on my shoulder.

"Thier their my boy."

"I failed you... I thought I could keep them safe, but I failed you," I cried.

"You've done nothing of the sort child," He assured me. "And just because you're dead, does not mean your journey is over. Far from it in fact."

With that, Mufasa got to his feet and started walking towards the distance. Ahead of him were endless seas of trees. My curiosity got the best of me as I rose to my feet.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

Mufasa turned back to me, "Come now Lee, you have many visitors waiting for you."


End file.
